All Alone
by Nellas Bean
Summary: Last chapter uploaded. Ryoko's past comes to haunt her. Washu tries to help, as is Ryo-ohki. Please read the A.N. on chap. 8.
1. Splash Your Mom Why Don't Ya?!

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! and all it's characters belong to Pioneer.

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The swinging mill bell changed its rate

To tolling like the count of fate,

And through at that the tardy ran,

One failed to make the closing gate.

There was a law of God or man

That on the one who came up late

The gate for half an hour to be locked,

His time be lost, his pittance docked.

(Part one of The Lone Striker, by Robert Frost)

Feel the wind

Feel the sun

And a new day in paradise has only begun

On the sand

By the sea

It's a peaceful oasis made for you and for me

Take my hand

This place was always waiting

This beauty all around us

The air intoxicated

Just like the love that found us

Let's forget who we've been

And give into the dream

Maybe life is a song

That's how it seems

And forever more we'll hear the music play

And forever more I'll take you in my hand this way

(Tenchi Universe, Episode 13 'Travel through time and space part III) 

All Alone

"Ryoko, get up! I've let you sleep long enough today!" a voice sounded below her, along with Sasami's pot banging against the wall loudly.._ Shut-up, I'm not in the mood; Sasami_, the space pirate forced herself up and walked to the door, ignoring the snickering of the princess on the couch. 

"Oh, hey Ryoko; have a nice sleep?" she looked at Tenchi Masaki's face. She glanced down in embarrassment, "Um, yeah I guess. But aren't you supposed to be in the fields or something?" he looked at her, confused, "What are you talking about? I just got back!" Ryoko's face turned crimson at the sound of the time, "I've been asleep that long, huh?" Ayeka's face appeared from behind the couch, with it all screwed up in her spoildish manner, "No kidding, we slave all day while you have your fun sleeping. You sleep like a rock, woman," with that, she returned to reading comics. Tenchi's face smiled dumbly, "But me and Sasami are the only ones who were moving today, Ayeka," she merely hmphed and ignored the statement. Ryoko couldn't help but smile as Ryo-ocki hopped into her arms, "Hello Ryo-ocki, what'cha been doin' today, huh? Probably been helping Tenchi all day; haven't you?" she scratched the cabbit's chin, which she rarely did in front of people. The cabbit purred in her hands and jumped to her hair, setting a little bed-like feature in her cyan hair. Not paying any heed at the other people's looks, she walked outside; breathing in the fresh air.

"Isn't it a great day-er-evening, Ryo-ocki?" the space-pirate said, stretching her arms while she walked to the lake. The cabbit didn't hear her, it was fast asleep. Ryoko didn't bother it, only hoping that it would have nice dreams. **What's up, Ryoko?** Washu's voice echoed through her head. **That, is none of your business, Washu** a sigh could be heard on the other end of the link, **you seem a bit depressed lately, I'm just a tiny bit worried. That's all,** the space pirate grumbled under her breath **I'm always this way, in case you haven't noticed**, Washu stopped typing for a second, **You're thinking about the past, aren't you,** Ryoko almost screamed, **That's none of your damn business! Just leave me alone!** Washu winced, then shut the link with a few last words, **Sorry, Ryoko**. She felt a pang of regret as soon as she had said those words. Regret turned to anger towards the universe. "WHY THE HELL DO I HAVE TO FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO DRIVE EVERYONE AWAY?!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. She waited for an answer, "ANSWER ME!" by then Ryo-ocki was up and clawed her head from being startled to death. Ryoko put her hands up and pulled the cabbit off, glaring at it the whole way, "What did you do that for, huh?" Ryo-ocki meowed and looked down in shame. Her face softened, and pulled the little cabbit into a hug. "Sorry, not in a very good mood today," **It's all right, you just scared me to death,** Ryo-ocki's voice rang in her head. **Thanks.** Ryoko phased from the lake and onto the roof, looking at the pale moon above the sunset.

Ryo-ocki looked up at her sister, her golden eyes not blinking, **What's wrong, Ryoko?** The cabbit asked, nuzzling her. Ryoko answered while still looking at the sky, **Just thinking about the past. Washu seemed to be concerned also, I wonder why **Ryo-ocki turned around to face the sunset, **She's our mother, that's why. I may not be the smartest cabbit in the world, but I bet what you said to her earlier kind of hurt her. No, it probably hurt her a lot, **Ryoko stopped moving for a second in shock, **how did you know?** She looked up at her, **I can hear what you say in your mind, so I could only hear your side of the little disagreement you had with her. I'm sorry if it feels like I'm invading your privacy, but I'm your little sister. Isn't that what they're for? Maybe you should go apologize or something, **the space pirate's eyes closed for a second, **Man I hate being in the middle, always gets the most. Oh well,** the cabbit managed a smile, then transformed into the adult massu she had assimilated with a few months ago. Ryoko looked over, **Why did you do that?** The other looked over, **Even though I'm smaller than you, doesn't mean I don't like to be average size every once in a while, I only stay in child form with Sasami so I can play with her easier. It's fun!** Ryoko looked down, seeing her point, **Fine, even if Washu is shorter than me and can change forms, maybe I should say sorry** the humanized cabbit looked over **Is it really that difficult to call someone mom?** Ryoko blushed, **yes.** Ryo-ocki grinned, **Call her mother then!** The space pirate glared at the cabbit's persistence, then sighed, **Fine, you make me apologize, now you want me to call her mom. What now? Call Tenchi his royal highness? Admit to everyone I can't taste? **Ryo-ocki giggled, **That wouldn't be to bad actually, the highness part, I don't think you'd tell about your taste buds, no matter how hard I tried,** Ryoko sighed, **Alright, I guess I should get to-** she stopped short, Ryo-ocki urged her on,** Mom before it gets too late, **the cabbit cheered, then flung herself onto the former space pirate, **Just say that once a day to me for the next week and I'll let you off the hook,** Ryoko sighed again and returned the hug. **Thanks for listening to me, your not as much as a bad person as you think you are, Ryoko,** Ryo-ocki said, then hopped off the roof in cabbit form.

Ryoko blinked a little, then phased into the kitchen, where she saw Ryo-ocki on Sasami's head again. The cabbit turned around, **I'm rooting for you all the way, space cowgirl! **Ryoko grinned and walked to the closet door, then knocked. Nobody answered. She looked down, 'She's that mad at me huh? Guess I'll just have to talk to her with telepathy,' she scooted and leaned onto the wall next to the door. **Hey, mom? **Washu shrieked and dropped the drill she was holding. **What is it, Ryoko?** The cyan haired lady blushed, **Well, I, uh, just wanna say I'm sorry for what I said earlier, and I hope you'll forgive me. And, um, that's all **nothing could have surprised the scientist as much as what her daughter had said that moment. Regaining control over her mind, she replied, **Thank you Ryoko, do you want to come in? **Ryoko shook her head, then remembered that she couldn't see her, **Um, no. Uh, I think I'll go help Sasami cook or, uh, something,** with that, she walked away. Washu sucked in her breath and beamed at the floor, 'Thank you, Ryo-ocki. Thanks,'

Ryoko walked into the kitchen, Ryo-ocki was in her child form, helping Sasami set the dishes. The cabbit looked over **Good job! Better than I thought it would be any way,** Ryoko let it pass and faced Sasami, "Hey, Sasami, can I try to cook something?" the little Jurian girl looked up, "Really?" Ryoko nodded, "Yeah, sure! You can make the chicken noodle Parmesan while I make the noodles, okay?" she nodded again. "What are the directions?" Ryoko couldn't taste, so she had better make it good! Sasami kneeled and pulled out a piece of paper with ingredients. She handed them to her with a nice big bowl. Looking down at the list, she searched the room for,

1 cans (103/104) Campbell's Cream Of Chicken & Broccoli Soup

½ cup of milk

1/3 of a cup of Grated Cheese

1/8 t pepper

3 cups of medium egg noodles

2 cups of cooked cubed chicken

Ryoko stopped and phased around the room for the ingredients. Finding them all, she set the on the counter, or in a smaller bowl, one by one. She cupped her chin with her hand. Sasami walked over and handed her a saucepan, as well as a few spoons. "Here Ryoko, you'll do fine as long as you follow the recipe. It's not mine though. You have exactly," she turned around and checked the clock, "An hour and a half until 7:30," Ryoko smiled and went to work, following the directions. First, dumping the soup, milk, cheese, and pepper in the 3qt. Saucepan, adding some noodles and chicken like the paper said. Stirring it a little, she set it on the oven and turned it low, letting it heat through while stirring occasionally. She turned to face the amazed looking Sasami, "Wow, Ryoko. You're a fast cook, why don't you taste it?" the cyan haired woman cringed, but hid it well, "Why don't you try it, huh? I bet I'd fake it and say it was good on purpose and make Ayeka drink all of it," the young girl smiled and pulled out a clean spoon from her apron and took a sip of the Parmesan. She jumped back in delight, "Whoa! I wasn't expecting this!" Ryoko looked down, "It's awful, isn't it?" Sasami turned around and pinned her to the wall, "No way! This is better than when I cook Ryoko, you have to learn to be proud of yourself sometimes!"

Ryoko and Ryo-ocki weren't expecting this, "You like it?" Ryoko asked, dumbfounded. Sasami pulled away and nodded happily, "You have to be kidding yourself, Ryoko. Of course I like it! Want to be a cooking buddy for dinner?" Ryoko blushed and smiled, "Okay, I guess," Sasami's grin could not have been wider at any time but that moment, "Yippee! I have a cooking partner, I have a cooking partner," she went on singing. Ryoko grinned and went to help Ryo-ocki. **Can't wait to taste what you cooked Ryoko, I'm starved,** Washu's voice sounded. Ryoko didn't care that much, **Yeah, whatever. Just don't lose track of time, alright?** Washu grinned, and walked out of the lab, surprising both of them. "Is that better?" she asked, straightening her hair. Ryoko didn't move, she didn't often come out willingly like this. The cabbit looked up, set the dish down, and ran to her, slamming her face in her belly, wrapping her arms in a hug. This caught Washu by surprise, and made her stumble a bit. Ryoko looked in shock, her mouth gaping at what her sister had done. Washu looked down and patted the child's head, smiling a little more. Looking back up she looked at the dumbstruck Ryoko, "What's the matter, Ryoko? I've got room for one more," Ryoko looked downcast, "No thanks, I am, uh, helping Sasami," she said and phased out of sight. Washu looked at the already set table. 

Sasami walked into the room, accidentally bumping into Washu. "Sorry, I was just looking for Ryoko, and- whoa! Washu!" she cried identifying the character she had bumped into. "It's alright, just thinking," Sasami looked at the scientist's hands, then glared, "Get those hands washed, missy! Dinners in five minutes!" she said, trying to act like a mom. Washu sighed and allowed Ryo-ocki to let go, then walked to the bathroom. Ryoko was on the roof, looking around the area to see anything that'd changed. "Nope, still the same forest I lost my gems in…" She then phased to the table, where she saw everyone coming in. Washu was the first in, and took a spot next to Ryoko. Ryoko didn't care, as long as Ryo-ocki sat next to her other side, or Tenchi. The adult cabbit came in with one of Ryoko's kimonos on. Ryoko grinned at her politeness, **Can't believe you snuck into my box and stole one of those,** Ryo-ocki stared, **I can't eat naked, what do you think I should have done?** Washu snickered next to her, Ryoko continued, **Yeah, whatever, just sit next to me, alright?** The cabbit nodded and sat on her knees. **Still can't get used to long limbs, ay?** She nodded again, **Nope, still don't see how you walk on two legs so nicely yet, I always thought humans had tails and then learned to balance,** Ryoko gagged while Ayeka sat on the other end of the table, **Humans, did have tails you bozo! When they inside the mommy's stomach, they had a little nub, then the skin around it covered it up! That's how our tail bone was made, you dummy,** the woman glared at the space pirate, **Don't call me names,** Ryoko grinned evilly, **Dummy,** Ryo-ocki and Washu giggled at her. Ayeka looked up from her comic, "What's so funny, Miss Washu?" the scientist smiled while she looked at her, "Oh, nothing. Ryoko just said something funny, that's all," Sasami walked into the room with a bowl of the chicken Parmesan.

Ayeka put the book down when she smelled it, "Wow, Sasami. Did you make this?" she asked, pouring herself a bowl. Sasami shook her head, Ayeka cocked her head a bit. "Who did then?" Sasami grinned happily, "Ryoko did, that's who!" as the space pirate had expected, Ayeka stopped pouring halfway, setting the bowl down she waited for something else. Sasami glared while Tenchi and Mihoshi came down the stairs. "Ayeka, just take one sip, I'm telling you, it's good. Much better than I can cook," Ayeka's face trailed back and forth between Sasami and the bowl, then shook her head. Sasami glared at her stubborn sister, "I'm not putting another thing on this table until you take at least one sip, Ayeka," Ryoko looked up at her, "You don't ha-" the young Jurian girl shushed her, "Take one Ayeka," the violet haired woman stared at her, "Fine," she gripped her spoon tightly and sipped the Parmesan through pursed lips. The princess didn't put it down, she didn't do a thing like that. Tenchi looked at her curiously. Ayeka kept eating, and that was that. Washu smiled to Ryoko, **Wow, didn't know you had the willpower to not blow her up when she's vulnerable like this. You must be very proud of yourself,** Ryoko didn't listen, she was in her own world of pride that second. Tenchi Masaki grinned and took a seat next to Washu.

Mihoshi was too busy with her clumsiness to notice that Ayeka had taken a liking to Ryoko's cooking. Washu smiled and poured herself some Parmesan, then took a bite herself, **Not bad for not being able to-you know, anyhow, its really good Ryoko. I want seconds! **Ryoko smiled and couldn't help but wag her tail a little. Ryo-ocki nudged Ryoko to stop wagging, because it was whacking her and Washu. Ryoko stopped immediately. "I'll go get the rest," the young girl said, and walked off; finally relieved that someone else got the attention besides her for the cooking. Tenchi was smiling, also happy for Ryoko, while pouring himself some. Nobiyuki came home happy with a nice picture of a young lady at work he managed to flirt with without being smacked. He sat and watched as three other bowls were set on the table. One with the noodles she had made earlier, crab buns in another, and shrimp with French fries in the last one. Sasami sat down next to the humanized cabbit, then snuck a carrot to her from under the table. Washu grinned to her cabbit daughter as she snapped the carrot the tiny bits and mixed them with the soup. Ryoko was the only one not eating, **What's the matter, Ryoko? Why don't you eat a little? **Ryo-ocki asked, slurping down a carrot chunk with noodles and chicken. Ryoko shrugged and grabbed one of the buns and some shrimp. While nibbling on the end of the shrimp, she replied back to the cabbit **I don't know, maybe I just wish I could taste. It's pathetic that I can't know what taste is exactly, it just is a sore spot,** Washu looked over out of the corner of her eyes, **I can fix that if you want me to,** Ryoko looked sad, but her tail was wagging at the thought of it. Washu smiled at her daughter, **I'll take that as a yes, I'll fix it tonight,** Ryoko grinned, but Ayeka took it as a threat. "What are thinking now, demon woman?" she asked, just to pick a fight. The cyan haired woman looked up, "That's none of your beeswax, princess," Ayeka looked taken aback.

"What did you say?" she shrieked, putting her chopsticks down. Ryoko faced her and repeated, "I said that's none of your business, princess. I'm outta here," with that she phased to Washu's lab door, and walked inside. Everybody looked toward the door, while Tenchi sighed in relief, 'Phew, nothing blew up that time. Thanks Ryoko, for walking away!' Washu and Ryo-ocki smiled as well, knowing that Ryoko was in the onsen instead, that was just a copy to let her be.

In the onsen, Ryoko walked up to the dressing room, where her bathing suit, along with the others, was hanging. Grabbing it, she walked into the hot water, letting it calm her nerves. 'That Ayeka is always trying to pick a fight, I can't believe she did that just for me grinning. Sheesh, princess's, I'll never get them,' she sighed and dipped a little deeper. 'Good thing I'm alone,' **That's what you think;** Washu's voice reverberated in her head. Ryoko to her left, and sure enough, there was Washu and Ryo-ocki. Ryoko looked at them, confused. "Why'd you guys follow me here?" the space pirate asked. Washu shrugged, "How about a little quality family time, what do you think?" the cabbit, now in one of Ryoko's old bathing suits, snickered. Ryoko looked at her in the eyes, then looked at her reflection, "Yeah, okay. That's not such a big deal," Washu smiled, and scooted a little closer, "Then you don't mind if scoot, do you?" Ryoko looked at the gap, it was only about six inches. "That I DO mind, give me some room," Washu obeyed, and scooted over a few inches. Ryo-ocki looked over, **Want me to get in the middle?** She asked, pointing in between the two. They both nodded. After the Ryo-ocki was settled, Ryoko started talking, "Anything in particular you wanted to ask me?" Washu jumped at her voice, having it being quiet for so long, "No, not really. You just seemed depressed today," the scientist replied, putting a hand on top of Ryo-ocki's furry head. Ryoko shook her head, "It's just hard," 

Washu looked at her, 'This might get somewhere, without blowing her bubble at me,' "Go on," Ryoko stared at her reflection, "It's just hard to think of all the blood and lives I've stolen from happy family's" Washu and the cabbit both stared at her now, "Ryoko, you know that wasn't your fault-" she was cut off by her older daughter's piercing stare, little pebbles of droplets formed at the edges of Ryoko's eyes, "I should have tried to say no! The dirty bastard made me destroy all those homes, lives. I should have said no from the start! I should have-" Washu shushed her, "Ryoko, you know that wasn't your fault, it was Kagato's own scumbag plan to take over the universe, you know that. Plus it was impossible to say no while under his control; Katsuhito saved your life from him. Another day of that torture, you'd probably have destroyed this solar system. Along with Juria." Her voice calmed Ryoko down, then she grinned, wiping away the tears that threatened to fall, "Will you look at that, I'm leaking. Heh, that's funny," Ryoko said, dunking her hand into the water. Ryo-ocki spoke up with a meow. Washu took her hand off the cabbit's head and pointed to a basket, "The towels are in there, you weird thing." Ryo-ocki smiled, then hopped out of the hot tub. 

As she dried herself off, she went on talking to Ryoko, **Splash her, come on, splash mom,** Ryoko looked at her, **Why should I?** The cabbit smiled, **You need to loosen up, dudette, have some fun! Just don't get my fur wet, okay? **Ryoko nodded and turned to Washu, who was picking at her nails. Ryoko pulled her arm back and splashed her mother's face full. Washu gagged and looked, only to see Ryoko had phased to other side of the pool, while bending over and stretching her face in awkward ways, "You can't catch me, na na na na na na," Washu was squeezing the water out her eyes while she heard Ryo-ocki laughing so hard behind her, she could throw up. "I'm going to get you, Ryoko!" she yelled and began a phasing chase. It was a losing chase, Washu was much quicker than her daughter, and quickly caught her. Grabbing hold of Ryoko's body, she dunked the space pirate's head in the water. But then she pulled her up, in case of the surprise dunk. Ryoko was more surprised at the fact that Washu had caught more than the dunking. Pulling her way out of her mother's grip, she turned toward Ryo-ocki. "Let's go get her," Ryoko whispered, Washu nodded, almost unable to keep in the laughter at how awkward her daughter looked at that moment. Her hair was sitting straight, for once, and the hair and her skin seemed to be sticking up in all directions.

They both phased from the area they were in and looked upon the laughing cabbit, Ryoko grinned, pulling back her right arm, Washu followed suit. The space pirate looked at the scientist and counted to three. On three, a huge wave came from their arms. They were amazed at the size of it, and waited to see a soaking Ryo-ocki. They never did, but felt someone poking them from behind. They turned around and saw the humanized cabbit, giggling at their effort, **What the heck was that for? It almost hit me before I phased, my beautiful fur… **the cabbit sighed, and started picking at the wet spot. Ryoko started laughing and fell into the pool from doing it so hard. Washu could help it either, and started giggling at her daughter's statement. Ryo-ocki looked at her mom, and a question popped into her head, **Hey, mom?** Washu continued to laugh, but answered, **How come I can't talk physically?** Washu toppled into the pool**, "**Because yourtongue is too small, even in your massu body its not average size. You could try, but it wouldonlyturn out to be a meow**." **Ryo-ocki tried, but she meowed instead. Washu came up and petted her hair, "It's alright, you can still talk and I'll translate, or put a translator on Sasami for you," the cabbit grinned. "Meow, mew meow?" she asked. Washu nodded, "Sure, that's easy! I'll do it tonight while I fix Ryoko's taste buds."

The cabbit grinned, unable to help but wiggle her ears a little. Washu giggled at the silly act, then dunked her hand into the tub and pulled the laughing Ryoko up. The scientist sighed silently and gently splashed some water into the space pirate's mouth. This caused Ryoko to stop laughing and come to her senses, then started spitting the water out. After a few minutes of gagging and choking, Ryoko looked over at her mother, "What was that for, huh. I could have choked to death!" Washu rolled her eyes, "But you don't need to breathe, airhead." The cyan haired lady's ears perked up. So did Ryo-ocki's, looking over, they saw Ayeka and Sasami wrapped in towels coming towards them. Ryoko was the first to wave, "Hey, Sasami! What's up?" the young girl looked over, "Oh, hey Ryoko. Nothing really, Ayeka just brought me here," she pointed towards her older sister, who wasn't having a perfectly polite face on. "Come on, Ayeka. We can ask Ryoko where she learned to cook so well, is that okay?" the younger Jurian asked, tugging on the princess' arm. Ayeka glared toward Ryoko, "Alright, but just for a little bit, then I'm getting out of this place, before I catch some germs," Ryoko smiled, "I don't have cooties, silly girl,"

Sasami and Ryo-ocki snickered, while Washu just let a laugh hiss out. Ayeka stood there with a screwed up face, "When will you ever learn to act sophisticated, woman?" Ryoko shrugged, "When will the prissy princess learn some manners?" Ayeka's fist trembled. But Ryoko ignored it, and invited Sasami over to sit by her, Sasami ran for the spot. After getting Ryoko soaked again, she started to talk, "So, when did you learn to cook like that Ryoko? It was awesome, you should have cooked a long time ago," the space pirate shrugged, and then scooted over, so she was closer to Sasami and not Ayeka. The young princess smiled, "Then it must come natural to you, that's a great talent. It took me ten years to get my recipe's straight," Ryoko grinned. The scientist was busy picking at her fingernails again, Ryoko got an idea, and leaned toward Sasami's ear, "Hey, Sasami, you want to have some fun getting Washu, and Ayeka frozen?" the girl nodded eagerly. Ryoko sniggered, "Alright, just hold onto my arm. We're going into the water behind the tree, it's really cold, so I'll drop you off on the side," Sasami smiled, then latched onto the space pirate's arm. "Don't let go, or you'll fall,"

Ryoko stood up, and phased to the nearest branch that was hidden. Setting the girl down, she admired the look on her face, "That was weird, felt like my body melted or something," Ryoko nodded, "I felt like that the first time I phased too, feels strange, doesn't it?" 

Sasami nodded, "So, how are we going to get my sister and Washu wet?" Ryoko put a finger up, "Be right back," and phased out of sight. The young Jurian princess sighed, and rocked her legs back and forth. Ryoko appeared back in an instant, carrying two buckets of cold water, "Is this cold enough?" she asked, pointing into the water. Sasami reached into the bucket and retreated as soon as she touched it. "Yikes that's cold, I wouldn't want to be Ayeka under that," the princess said, favoring her frozen fingers. "Why would it be bad?" asked a voice from behind them. Ryoko turned around and sighed when she saw her mother's face, "Damn, won't work now," Washu looked at her confused, "What won't work?" Ryoko grinned and dumped the bucket on the scientist's head. Sasami started to laugh out loud at the look on Washu's face, Ryoko phased out of sight while carrying Sasami and the bucket.

Washu was too frozen in shock to notice Ryoko had phased. "Dang that's cold, second time she got me. How embarrassing." She phased next to Ryo-ocki, "Why don't we go? Seems Ryoko is just trying to get us soaked here." The cabbit nodded glumly, wanting to keep her fur safe from the evil water. Washu smiled, "Go get dressed then, or do you want to travel in cabbit form for a while?" Ryo-ocki shook her head, **Let's be children sized for a while!** Washu nodded and transformed into her twelve year old state. The cabbit did the same thing, making them both around Sasami's size.

Up in the air, above Ayeka, Ryoko was holding Sasami so the girl could hold the bucket, "Alright, on the count of three, dump the bucket on Ayeka, okay?" Sasami nodded. "One… Two. Three!" The young princess flipped the bucket over, soaking the violet haired woman on the ground. Ayeka choked the water down and started shivering as soon as it hit her. Ryoko started laughing and set the little girl down, "Lets run from the evil monster, hurry!" she cried and started running at top speed around the onsen, Sasami soon joined her because Ayeka was beginning a rampage and holding a bucket of cold water herself. Sasami laughed loudly at Ayeka's failed attempts to run with the bucket. "Bet you can't catch me, sis! Na na na na na na!" The older princess cringed in anger, then let the bucket drop, and gave chase, "I'm gonna get you, Sasami!" the little girl smiled, and started running faster than she'd ever done before, holding onto the towel so it wouldn't fall. Ryoko smiled from the branch she was watching on, 'They should play more often, this is really hysterical!' she giggled to herself, and phased to the dressing room and got dressed.

She stretched, "Ah, that was fun, maybe I'll go back to that branch after I'm done," Ryoko grinned and slipped her striped kimono back on. After she phased back to the branch, she found that Ayeka had caught Sasami, and was dragging her out. Ryoko waved to the young girl, and she waved back. Five minutes later they were gone, and Ryoko sighed. 'Finally, now I'm alone,' a rustle of leaves startled her out of the tree. Floating in midair, she looked around, "Washu?" Silence. "Washu?" she asked again. "No," and something grabbed her from behind. "What the…?" Ryoko asked, unable to move. "Recognize me, Ryoko?" the voice asked, holding her in the strangle hold. The words stung her like a pebble in a tornado. The person squeezed harder, "Do you?!" Ryoko gasped for air, and then screamed as her spine snapped.

"Ryoko! Wake up!!!" a voice called, shaking the space pirate violently. Ryoko opened her eyes, and saw Washu's emerald eyes gazing into hers. She jumped up, "Where are we?" the scientist looked at her like she was crazy, "We're in the onsen, silly," Ryoko sighed, and sat back down in the water. Ryoko had her clothes on, 'So I probably fell asleep on the branch,' she thought, and then looked at Washu, "What are you doing here?" Washu bonked her head with her hand, "Oh yeah, well, me and Ryo-ocki left three hours ago. You hadn't come out yet, so I came and saw you screaming in your sleep. Mind telling me what it was about?"

Ryoko shrugged, then checked her spine. After she was done checking, she turned around, "Fine, you'd better not tell anyone else though." Washu smiled, "A word here won't leave my mouth," Ryoko rolled her eyes, "Well, I was just leaning on that branch up there, and I guess I fell asleep, then the leaves started rustling behind me and some voice that sounded a ton like Kagato's bastard voice started asking me if I knew him. When I didn't answer, the being that owned the voice appeared behind me and took me into the strangle hold, it snapped my spine. But before I woke up he whispered in my ear, "I'm coming, Ryoko, to get you and your mother," it freaked me out, just his voice."

Washu nodded, "Well, it was just a nightmare. Kagato's dead. You know that," Ryoko nodded. Washu scooted up, and faced her totally, "But if you have another nightmare, come and tell me or Ryo-ocki. Alright?" the golden-eyed warrior nodded again. Washu smiled and phased away. Ryoko sighed, "I'd better get out of here before someone else comes to haunt. Man, what a day," she said, and phased to the roof of the Masaki home.

She stooped, "I wish I could remember something about my childhood, and not all the times Kagato had abused her. She blocked the link, they couldn't find out about that. Washu was sitting on the porch, and felt her daughter's presence on the roof. 'She's thinking about Kagato,' she said to herself, and tried to say something, but Ryoko's mind blocked her. Washu frowned, she knew, and she didn't say a thing. She would do anything to erase that night in Ryoko's memory. The block was open now, **Ryoko, are you alright?** She asked, trying to get her out of her misery. Ryoko answered in a glum attitude, **Not really, I don't want to talk about it **Washu nodded to herself, *Alright then, just be careful not to think like that for too long, alright? You might have a panic attack even though it's not going to happen again, Kagato is dead, just remember that," the scientist said, and phased into the lab.

Ryoko stood up, Washu knew. "Damn, no privacy at all," she sighed and lied down and went to sleep. Inside the lab, Washu watched her daughter, "Good-night Ryoko," she said, reaching for a button, 

"I love you,"

Authors Notes: The end! Not, I've got lots to do. Plus, you can probably tell that I wrote this whole thing while I was sick. Pretty pathetic, huh? Anyway, at least 2 good reviews and I'll post the second chapter. Hope you like this story, so far! Ryoko and Washu are just so cute! I love all the stories that are being posted about them. Ja! 


	2. Little Ryo

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! And all it's characters belong to Pioneer.

_He stood rebuked and unemployed._

_The straining mill, though many-many-eyed,_

_Had eyes inscruptly opaque;_

_So that he couldn't look inside_

_To see if some forlorn machine_

_Was standing idle for his sake_

_(He couldn't hope its heart would break)_

_(Part two of 'A Lone Striker' by Robert Frost)_

Authors Notes: I'm totally freaked right now… cut my hair, look like a boy. Mom's acting a little too open for my liking, and, when I go to school tomorrow, people are gonna pick fun at me cuz I like a boy. Anyhoo, that's my problem for now. And, on with the story!

All Alone (part 2)

                "Hello…? Anybody home?" the child looking scientist shook her daughter violently. The space pirate groaned, and curled up into a ball, shoving Washu off the roof. "Gah! Ryoko!" she cried, and phased to the roof before she hit the ground. Washu rolled her eyes, this was the last thing she wanted to do, and right before breakfast! 'She's sure gonna be pissed at me after this!' she thought evilly and knelt down, spreading the space pirate's arms. The scientist had to stifle a laugh when her little Ryoko screwed up her face, "Hee-hee, this is _perfect!" _Washu snickered and placed her hands under the cyan-haired woman's arms. 'All right, one-two-THREE!' she started tickling her like mad. Ryoko's eyes snapped opened. "Oh hey mo-GAH!!! STOP IT! THAT TICKLES! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! C'MON, S-S-S-S-STOP IT! I'M UP A-A-ALREADY! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!" her pleading went on for what seemed an eternity, after about five minutes of continued screaming, Ayeka, Tenchi, and Sasami walked out to see what the racket was. Sasami started snickering wildly as soon as she saw them, Tenchi smiled warmly at this rare moment between Ryoko and Washu, and Ayeka; was painfully trying not to laugh at the scene, it was all too funny.

After a while, Ryoko gave up on pleading and just stared into her mothers smiling face, "C'mon, you're hurting my ribs." Was her last plead before chuckling madly under her mom's spell of laughter. Washu let Ryoko go obediently after her last plead. Removing her hands, she smiled warmly, "Well; I think my hands are starting to get cramps from that last tickle attack. Good job though, the last one I gave you, you didn't last five minutes without getting cramps in your stomach. Plus, I think we attracted a bit too much attention; don't you think?" Ryoko was too busy trying to regain her sense of breathing to care. "Let's go eat!" Washu cried, and slung an arm around Ryoko's waist. Catching her off guard, Ryoko wasn't able to react quickly enough, so they landed with a plop; one on top of the other. "Aw, didn't know you cared, Little Ryoko," Washu smiled, ignoring her twisted leg under her daughters weight. The space pirate cringed, "Don't call me that!" Washu took this opportunity, "Call you what, Little Ryoko?"

"That!"

"Yes?"

"NO!"

"Little Ryokoooo!!!!!!" Washu cried at the top of her lungs. By then, Tenchi and the others had walked in, and had started collapsing in laughter. The cyan haired woman closed her eyes, while her left eyebrow continued to twitch. "Don't call me Little Ryoko!" The scientist smirked,

"Then get off my leg, yer killin me here," Washu said, shoving her daughter's head off her wild pink hair. **Oh, sorry 'bout that **Ryoko said mentally, and floated to the air. The pink haired lady smiled, and twisted her leg before it dislocated. **It's nothing new, Ryoko…nothing new;** Ryoko couldn't help but smile, and took her regular seat next to Tenchi. "Hello Ryoko. I see you've managed to survive Washu's tickle attack," Tenchi grinned, stuffing his face with an egg role. Sasami giggled. The elder princess managed to keep her snicker to a whisper state. "Yeah, well. I'm the space pirate Ryoko! An old tickle attack ain't gonna stop me," Tenchi smirked, "Oh, really? Then who was the one pleading with Washu to stop before she died, hmmmmm?" Ryoko couldn't answer that one. Ryo-ohki took her place between Sasami and her creator; wearing the kimono she had worn the day before. **I see you've learned my ways, young cabbit,** the space pirate said, giggling to herself silently. The massu cabbit picked up her chopsticks and placed them to her forehead, **Well what'd you think I'd have done after living with you for god knows how long,** Washu smiled darkly. **What's mom got cooped up this time? She's got that evil look on her face again,** Ryo asked, motioning towards their creator. Ryoko smiled, **nothing. Just meet her outside after breakfast, kay? She's got sumthin for ya;** she winked to the scientist mentally, knowing what was coming.

Something clicked in the scientists mind, she dropped her chopsticks in the process, "Aw, dammit." She said, sighing slightly. **What's wrong?** Ryoko asked, swallowing her carrot. **I forgot to fix your tastebuds last night, how stupid of me,** Ryoko looked over at her, **It's not that big of-** Washu kicked her from under the table, **Is too a big deal! One more memory of Kagato still with you, along with your ability to read; how cruel!** "Excuse me, is something wrong?" a voice interrupted. Washu stopped short and looked at the groups faces, then saw her leg was still outstretched under the table, "Oops, sorry," she said, and pulled it back. Tenchi sighed and stood up, "Well I'm going to the fields. Ryoko, your turn to do the dishes. No excuses, got it?" she nodded, "Then, see you later!" he grinned and ran off toward the fields. Ayeka, Sasami, and Mihoshi left the table, ready to do their chores.  Ryo-ohki stood up also, and went outside to wait for Washu. 

Ryoko managed to sneak Washu a grin, **so…how long do you plan to torture her, ay?** The scientist smiled, **oh Ryoko, you really are my daughter!**  She smiled and stood up to leave. Ryoko tugged her back down; **just don't be too hard on her…save some for me!**  The scientist nodded, and walked outside. The space pirate grinned and started picking up the plates, while listening to her mother trying sneak a way under the cabbit's arms without attracting attention. Ryoko smiled and marched toward the sink, gently placing the dishes in one by one. Waves of laughter emitted from the doorway, causing Ryoko to smile even more, 'Heh, she got her…' Picking up a sponge, she started scrubbing as lightly as she could do without breaking the fine glass. 

It didn't work.

A small, thin crack appeared under the suds, and Ryoko just narrowed her eyes, 'Ugh, I'll never get this down. I crack or break one every time!' Washu continued her mad tickling and listened to her cyan-haired daughter at the same time. **Is that so, Ryoko? Guess I'll have to fix that…** Ryoko continued to scrub, using only her fingers and not her thumb, and it was proving to be a hard task indeed. **I'll fix it with your tastebuds if you want.** Ryoko thought for a moment, then started to agree. Washu smiled and let Ryo go, thinking she was going to have a hard time regaining her breath after that encounter. The cabbit sighed in relief, and started to clutch her sides, **Ugh, what was that for?** She asked her mother, who was kneeling down beside her, "Because if I gave Ryoko one this morning, I thought it would only be fair. Ryoko lasted a bit longer than you did though." She gave the cabbit a pat on her head and turned around, "I'm going to help Ryoko with the dishes, and then I'm going to fix you guys. You going to help?" Ryo-ohki shook her head **Nuh-uh, I'll get my fur wet!** The scientist giggled and started to head towards the kitchen, "Picky-picky-picky," Ryoko turned around, "Picky 'bout what? I'm not picky," Washu snickered, "Suuuuuure," the hint of sarcasm drove Ryo-ohki into a fit of giggles.

"Am not!" the space pirate cried, as another crack appeared under her grip. "Watch what you're doing," the scientist said sternly, snatching the cup from her grip. "Hey!" Ryoko screeched, and snatched it back. Washu rolled her eyes, and picked up another cup to start scrubbing. **What are you doing?** Ryoko asked, eyeing the cup in her mothers' hands. "Der, are you blind?" Washu replied, setting the cup down in the cabinet. **How exactly can you do that without breaking it?** Asked a curious space pirate, looking at her cracked one, and then at the second dish in Washu's hands. The scientist laughed heartily, "It's easy actually. Just don't grip it as hard as you do, act like it's….er…. a strand of Tenchi's hair! Or something," Ryoko smirked, then let her hands loosen, **Yeah! Just like that!** Her mother's voice rang, and continued to scrub the dish in her hands. Ryoko smiled at her work when the cup didn't crack as she set it down in the cabinet. Ryo-ohki silently watched the pair from in the hallway, then sighed and ran to Sasami; changing into her child form, causing the kimono to drape around her more. 'Oops, guess I have to get changed first…' she said and ran to her little box of things. Reaching inside, she pulled out a little pink dress, one that Sasami herself had worn. As she pulled Ryoko's old one off, she started to think while slipping her other friends' dress on. 'Hm, Ryoko and mom sure seem to be a little more soft than usual, I mean. Just last week Ryoko was so pissed at her mom she drank herself silly with sake, not that that isn't normal. Geez! Ryoko can drink six packs off liquor before she even starts to feel the effects! Still…' she shrugged it off, and ran looking for Sasami.

First place she looked was the cherry blossom orchard, where they both were making a tree house with Ryoko's help. She wasn't there. Next she looked was the shrine, her playmate liked to have little talks with Yosho every once in a while to get to know her half brother she never saw better. As far as she was concerned, Sasami and herself were the only ones besides his mother that knows he takes the image of an old man. She wasn't there, either. 'I wonder…' she walked back toward the house, crestfallen. She decided to go to the biggest cherry blossom tree and sit, just to think for a while. "Give that _back, _Sasami!" the sound of Ayeka's voice increasingly grew. The cabbit smiled and bounded toward the house. She slammed face first onto the sliding glass door, making a huge clank that could be heard up to the shrine. "MEOW!!!" Ryo-ohki cried and transformed to cabbit state from such a shock. Sasami rose from behind the couch, and rushed to the door, dropping her sisters' headdress she had worked so hard to get. "Ryo-ohki! Ryo-ohki are you okay?" the little girl cried and picked up the knocked out fur ball. Ayeka sighed and snatched up the headdress her sister had stolen and slid it back on, walking towards the two kids. The princess knelt down, "I she alright?" Sasami looked up and tapped Ayeka's forehead nonchalantly, "Of course she is! A little blow to the head couldn't hurt her that much could it?" she whispered quietly and walked away. Ayeka looked up at the glass and tapped it.

The door shattered.

'This is bad.' The violet woman said to herself and walked toward the kitchen, where she saw Washu splashing Ryoko silly. Clearing her throat, she walked up to Washu and tapped her back. The scientist jumped and threw up her cup she was holding full of water. Ryoko shrieked as the ice cold water went down her back, not that she could feel the temperature. Washu shrugged and turned around, "What is it..Ayeka?" the scientist asked, rubbing some of the droplets off her face. Ryoko started to float up, but Washu stopped her, "Ryoko. Stay here," she said firmly, and pulled the reluctant space pirate back down. Ayeka ignored the gesture and continued, "Mi-" she stopped short when the red-head did a 'Ryoko death stare,' "I-I mean, Little Washu. I'd like you to know that Ryo-ohki just had a bit of an…accident," Washu looked at her, "What do you mean? A little cut isn't gonna hurt her," Ayeka sighed, "No, you don't understand. You know the glass door you designed to make so that one of Ryoko's blast's or mine would break it?" the scientist nodded. "Well then, I'd like you to follow me. The space pirate and her mother followed, unsure what was troubling Ayeka so much. Washu was the first to suck in her breath violently, barely being able to choke out, "What…happened?" the princess closed her eyes, "Ryo-ohki ran into it."

"This is bad, real bad. You know how bad it is, mom?" Ryoko instantly slapped her mouth with her hand. Washu put her hand to her chin, "Well, first I have to see Ryo-ohki to see how bad it is. You know where they went, princess?" Ayeka pointed outside, "I think I saw them go thataway," the space pirate Ryoko put her hands on her hips, "I know where they are, but princess, I can't take you along. It's someplace Sasami will show you someday," Ayeka nodded, and headed toward her room. Washu looked up, "Was that a lie?" Ryoko shook her head, "'Fraid not, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else about this place unless Sasami says you can. I worked real hard to keep this a secret for quite a time," Washu nodded and stuck out her hand. The cyan haired woman reluctantly took it, and phased deep into the cherry blossom orchard. Ryoko snatched her hand away immediately, then led her to the tree house they had worked on. "Wow, I've never even been this deep!" Washu said, and looked around herself, admiring all the sakura's. Ryoko rolled her eyes, and picked up a small sniffle from inside the wooden home. "C'mon Washu, we don't have all day! Ryo's inside the house!" Washu nodded, and phased along with her daughter inside. 

What was inside really took the scientist's breath away. It had eight rooms, each one having a little sign with each person's name on, except for Nobiyuki and Yosho. There was a tiny kitchen on to the side, and the whole place smelled strongly of strawberry. One wall even had a pictures of everyone doing a small pose or another, mostly surprise shots or ones taken when they were doing karaoke. "It's beautiful…" Washu sighed and followed her stubborn daughter to the room labeled, 'Little Ryo.' Ryoko knocked quietly, "Who is it?" a crying Sasami called. The space pirate opened the door gently, and let her mother in. "Oh…hey Washu," the cerulean haired girl sighed and stood up, cradling the bleeding cabbit ever so kindly. "Oh, Ryo…" Washu silently cried, and looked at the bandage Sasami had set, but it was half covered with blood. "Here you go, I patched her up as best as I could." The little princess whispered, trying to cheer everyone up. Ryoko walked over and patted the girls head, "It's alright, kiddo. Everything's' gonna be fine, you hear me?" Sasami burst into tears and handed Washu the cabbit and then slammed into Ryoko, crying her guts out. Washu looked at her little Ryoko. **I said don't call me that.** Ryoko said mentally, while trying to quiet Sasami down at the same time. Washu blushed, **Sorry. Do you need help with her?** She asked, motioning towards Sasami. Ryoko shook her head, **Nope, she's done this so many times here, and I probably know more about her than Ayeka does.** Washu nodded and phased out of sight, feeling a strange dam burst inside of her. 

Washu let a tear silently fall down her cheek as she opened the door to her lab quickly. "Sasami's lucky. She gets all the attention from Ryoko and I- what am I saying?" Washu asked to the air. Ryo-ohki opened a small eyelid and faced her creator, **You're jealous. Aren't you mom?** Washu looked down at the cabbit, "And what gives you that idea, hm?" Ryo winced at her words, and passed out again. The scientist sighed, 'Damn, this might be harder than I thought…' she walked toward a miniature cabbit sized chair. As she set her creation down, the word kept popping in her head.

Jealous.

Hah! Why would a person like me be jealous? Of all things.

You're jealous and you know it, don't hide it with your pride like your daughter does.

My daughter…jealous? Heh-heh, that's a new one.

She's more jealous than you'll ever know.

Is that so.

The voice inside her head stopped. And Washu just mentally smacked herself for arguing with her brain. She walked up to the monitor and pulled up a hologram laptop and began typing madly. A movement in the shadows caused her to stop. Looking toward the movement, she saw a flicker of cyan hair. "…Ryoko?" she asked, scooting around in her pillow. The figure of Ryoko appeared and was looking quite sullen. Washu sighed in relief, "Ryoko, I thought you in the tree house with Sasami. What are you doing here?" the space pirate shrugged, "I've been here since last night, after Ayeka tried to blow up at me," Washu nodded in understandment, "I see, so you basically locked yourself in and now you can't get out, is that it?" Ryoko nodded glumly. The scientist punched a few keys and a door appeared, "See ya Ryoko!" she cried before the cyan hair disappeared from sight, as did the door.

'Ah well, that's one thing solved,' she said, and started typing madly again. A map appeared of Ryo-ohki's separate bodies appeared. First one she saw was the original cabbit state, then her ship body. Her child massu body, and then her adult, a crystal followed soon after. Washu stretched and cracked her fingers; this was going to take some careful planning. Taking a wire with a suction cup at the end, she stuck it on the cabbits' body, soon followed by a new bandage put on her head. Her left brow twitching slightly, she walked back to the chair and looked at pictures of the bruised and battered cabbit.

Three hours later…

"Are you sure your okay?" Ryoko asked to the tear stricken princess. Sasami nodded, and managed to get a breath without sniffling like a dog. They were on her bed they made, and Sasami was lying down while Ryoko scratched her back silently. Ryoko kept scratching until she was sure the little girl had gone to sleep. Ryoko smiled and kept on scratching, while using her other hand to pull a blanket over Sasami. After a while, Ryoko got up and pulled a chair from her own room to Sasami's, and plopped down next to the bed. The cyan haired woman wiped her brow, 'Whew, that's got to be a record breaking, make Sasami get better moment, and I enjoyed it! Maybe I should do this more often…' her thoughts droned off, and felt her eyelids begin to droop. 'Then again, it is a good way to make myself go to sleep. That's for sure…' she said and fell asleep, her hand still on the little girls' head.

Inside the lab, Washu silently cried to herself as she watched the scene between Ryoko and Sasami. She had finished with Ryo a little while ago, and started watching her daughter and how exactly she got Sasami to calm down. She'd been watching for at least two and a half hours and it got her crying from the start. She herself remembered that she did the exact same thing when Ryoko was sad, all those 5000 years ago…

~*Flashback*~

_"Mommy! Mommy! Lookit!" a cyan haired toddler wailed, wobbling to the reading scientist. Washu looked up from her book, "What is it, Little Ryoko?" Ryoko smiled and stomped her feet while opening her balled fists. It was a little egg with a baby massu crawling around. Washu looked at her with interest, "Where'd you find that little massu baby?" Ryoko shrugged, "I thwink Ryoko…find it…in Momma's lab. Even if momma said no-no to little Ryoko," Washu smiled at her daughter, "Good girl, at least you didn't get hurt. Just don't do it again, all right little Ryoko?" the toddler nodded, "But, mommy. Ryoko thinks that little Ryoko bwoke something…" the scientist looked up, "Like what, honey?" the cyan haired girl cupped the massu again, "Ryoko think mommy get mad…" Washu shook her head, "I won't get mad, just tell me," Ryoko sniveled up a bit, "Pwomise?" "Promise," the toddler started to talk as best she could in her broken up language, "In mommy's lab, little Ryoko hit a button on accident and the tube that had lil' Ryo's massu in it, and…" she stopped. Washu shrugged, "Good thing you came to me first, let me guess, the little massu you're holding is supposed to be Ryo-ohki's massu, am I right?" Ryoko nodded, and handed the baby massu to her mother. "Thank you, little Ryoko," Washu said, and picked up her daughter for a piggy back ride into the lab. "WHEEE!!!!!!!!" Ryoko cried as she hung on for dear life while they rushed around quickly to Ryo's broken tube. Washu set her dizzy toddler down, and walked toward the tube, placing the massu into the tube and snapped._

_Everything was brought back together before Ryoko's very eyes. Washu smiled, "See! Nothing to worry about, honey," Ryoko started sniffling up again. "Ryoko what's wrong?" she asked, picking up the golden eyed toddler. "Ryoko broke mommy's rules 'gain! Then lil' Ryoko's gonna do it gain' and again," she broke into tears and latched onto her mother. Washu was surprised by this act, and took a few steps back in surprise, "Little Ryoko…" she stated, and ran her hand through her daughters' cyan hair. Ryoko couldn't take it, and started bursting into sobs, "But-" the scientist shushed her, "I'm not mad, you'll learn from your mistakes, as long as you don't do them more than twice, I won't be mad, all right?" the toddler's sniffles died down a bit as Washu walked out of the lab towards her daughters room. After a while, Ryoko started to cry again, and grabbed Washu into a tight deathgrip, which caused her mother to start choking a little. Sitting on a rocking chair, Washu took her arms and gently tried to pull Ryoko off of her. The toddler obliged, and let her arms loosened enough to let the scientist get her on her lap, which she did so very reluctantly. Washu sighed and set the little girl on her lap sideways, then started humming her favorite song softly as she scratched her back. Ryoko's eyelids drooped as she heard the enchanted song her mother hummed to her (I'll let you decide on that) and leaned onto her mother more as she latched her arms around Washu again. Five minutes later, she was fast asleep; not even a parade could wake her up if it stormed through here by some unlucky chance. Washu repeated the song even after she fell asleep and soon felt her eyelids droop unconsciously, and leaned back into the chair; falling asleep herself._

~~

                That was one of her fonder memories of Ryoko as a toddler, Washu her self still couldn't believe she still had that much patience still inside of her, not allowing herself to get mad at her daughter. She couldn't figure out why, because every time she felt herself begin to lose her temper, all she had to do was think of Ryoko and that was that, no more being mad.  Washu stretched and put her arms behind her neck, cracking both her fingers and neck. 'Time to check on Ryo-ohki,' the scientist stated and pushed a button to replace Ryoko and Sasami sleep to an outline of Ryo's adult massu body and an image of a brain inside where the head should be, 'Everything looks A'OK, no. Wait a sec…' the scientist said and pressed a button that zoomed in to the brain image. Washu sighed, 'Damn, poor Ryo's not going to be able to hear for a while…' she said and hopped off the floating cushion, then walked over to the sleeping cabbit, and scratched her furry belly. Washu grinned at the reaction, Ryo's paws moved from spread eagle, to latching onto her hand. 'Poor thing…' she thought again, and picked it up while she headed outside the lab to the treehouse. Ayeka was the first to see the redhead woman step out, and greeted her nicely, "Is she okay?" the princess asked, after brushing lint off her kimono. Washu nodded, "Yes, Ryo-ohki's going to be fine, the blow to her head hit the side that activates her sense of hearing, so she'll be deaf for a few months or more."

                "Sasami's not going to like that, you know." Ayeka whispered, folding the last of the towels. The scientist grunted, "Yeah, I know, she'll get over it soon enough," her downcast look told Ayeka to back off, and she did just that without question. Washu gave her a thankful look and phased to the forest, the cabbit still in her arms. As she landed, she looked around everywhere to see if anyone was around, then started toward the house. After five minutes of walking, Ryo-ohki started to stir in her arms, fidgeting as if in a bad dream. Washu took a pill out of her pocket and made her eat it, she wasn't ready yet. Another five minutes had gone by when she caught sight of the house, sitting as still as ever. The scientist grinned as she still sensed Ryoko's sleeping. She phased into the house and walked toward Sasami's room, guessing that's where she was. Sliding the door open slowly, she steeped in and walked toward her daughter, setting little Ryo on her lap. Ryoko twitched slightly under her touch, but remained asleep. Washu got back up and headed out, just going to check out what they did to her room. The redhead went across the house, then walked up to her door. Everything about the door was the same, except there seemed to be Sasami's handwriting in tiny lettering below Ryoko's, as if snuck there on purpose. And it read,

                _Aka, mom._

Author's Notes: Yeah, pretty corny ending if you ask me. I've already got half the story planned out, don't know about the ending yet though. I just write it as I go along. Just in your opinion, are you liking it? Flames are accepted, I have no intention of insulting any of you. So review if you like it or not, I really want your opinions guys! 


	3. A Hobby Known

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! And all it's characters belong to Pioneer.

_And yet he thought he saw the scene:_

_The air was full of dust of wool._

_A thousand yarns were under pull,_

_But pull so slow, with such a twist,_

_All day from spool to lesser spool,_

_It seldom overtaxed their strength;_

_They safely grew in slender length._

_And if one broke by any chance,_

_The spinner saw it at a glance._

_The spinner still was there to spin._

_That's where the human still came in_

_(Part three of 'The Lone Striker,' by Robert Frost)_

All Alone (part 3)

                Ryoko stretched long and slowly as the moon's rays beat down roughly on her face. She felt a small tug at her lap as she eased back down. Gazing toward the small patch of black fur, she smiled. Little Ryo. She also noticed her hand was dead asleep, from resting on the little girls' head all night. The space pirate grunted, and tried to shake the feeling off, but only successed to making it tingle like mad. Narrowing her golden eyes, she sighed quietly and picked up the tiny cabbit in her lap, then set her next to Sasami. Getting up slowly, having cramps in her legs from sleeping in awkward position, she headed toward the small kitchen, just to make a quick meal. Her ears perked up as she heard a small sigh to her left, and started walking in that direction. The sigh gently turned into silent breathing as Ryoko phased through her mother's door. Stepping lightly, she looked around herself, finally noticed that she and Sasami, and Ryo-ohki did a pretty good job on her room, counting that they didn't know much about her favorite types of anything. The room was, slightly larger than the rest. Had a closet much like the one Tenchi had, some pictures of some famous scientists' or inventors on one wall. And then…

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                …Ryoko didn't know what to think. She hardly noticed that wall until now. Struggling to keep her voice whisper level, she looked at the odd wall. It decorated with pictures of Ryoko, her sister and mother on what seemed to be Sasami's birthday two months ago. Ah, she remembered that all too well. Her eyes trailed to a picture she didn't quite recognize at first, having a little girl around twelve years old, an older man handing her what seemed like a trophy, and a few middle aged looking men and women clapping for her. It took her a moment to see what was on the girl's shoulder.

                Ryo-ohki.

                Then it snapped. That girl was her! And she looked…looked…educated! Ryoko sucked in her breath sharply as she allowed her eyes to wander. One had a picture of a more teenaged looking Washu, another looked like it had been scratched out over the ages. The space pirate leaned in for a better look. She could see a faded Washu's face smiling as she held a baby. Ryoko scratched her head, the baby looked familiar somehow. Another thing snapped. It was…it was.. Washu's first son! Her…_brother! Now she remembered, it way back when…when she managed to force some stories out of her one night 5000 years ago. The space pirate clutched at her heart, it was aching…badly. She shook with rage as she clamped her eyes shut, trying to drive out this silly pain. She backed away from the wall and phased out the doorway. Once she was out she quickly made her way to her room, clutching her head madly. Phasing through the door, she knelt down to her knees and clutched heart, though her head was pounding too. She barely managed to breath properly as she tried to grip for control again. The cyan haired woman crawled to her bed, and curled into a tight ball in the corner of it. Two tears managed to break out of her eyes, even with the hardness of the wall that kept those emotions from coming out._

                Washu had woken up as soon as she heard her daughter phase through the door, and had pretended to sleep to see what she did. She always was a light sleeper, guess it was always that way. After a bit of ridiculous acting, she had managed to turn around without her suspicion. She watched it all, squinting just enough to seem as if she were asleep. Washu her self had been surprised as Ryoko seemed to stare at those for half an hour, not that it mattered. What bothered her was that she just started shaking silly and clutching her heart as if someone close to her had betrayed her. As soon as she left, the redhead flung the covers off frantically, and hopped up; rushing to the door. Stopping short, she caught her breath, and listened for any unnatural sounds by her daughter.

                There was nothing.

                Sliding the door open, not bothering with dematerializing, she rushed to her daughters' door, now hearing some slight chokes and tiny whines. Knocking the door, she tried to see if she'd let her in. After a moments hesitation, Ryoko answered, as if struggling, "Come in…" Washu slid the door open and stood rooted to her spot. Ryoko was scrunched up in a tight deathgrip of her own, hugging her knees to her chest. The scientist didn't know what to make of this, "Ryoko…what's wrong?" the space pirate barely managed to lift her face, revealing her tear streaked cheeks; startling Washu even more so. After even more silence, harbored by Ryoko's heavily labored breathing, she managed to croak out, "Heart…hurts. Badly…" was all she could say between her gasps for breath. The redheads' eyes squinted, "Ryoko, you don't have to breath. If it's making you struggle. Stop," she said gently, taking a step forward. Ryoko's face scrunched up. 

                And the sound of her breathing was no more.

                Washu nodded and walked the rest of the way sternly, sitting down on the bed, giving her enough room for comfort. Calling her laptop from nowhere, she started typing; trying to ignore the painful gaze her daughter was giving her. After a few seconds' typing, a hologram of Ryoko appeared in front of them. Typing a little more, it zoomed in on her heart and brain, causing two separate pictures with a metallic color in one spot on both of them. Washu let a small squeak, "Oh my…"

                The metal looking features zoomed in some more, revealing a sign Ryoko had grown to fear with all her heart. Washu had grown to hate it with every fiber in her body, causing this family so much unneeded pain and sorrow. Ryoko tore her gaze off of it and let a tear fall down her cheek again.

                Kagato's sign.

                Washu looked over at the cyan haired woman, unable to speak, only able to utter the words of her name, "Ryoko…" Ryoko ignored the statement, and hugged herself closer. "Did you know about this?" the scientist asked, trying to get some sense from her little Ryoko. **Yes, yes I did. Happy?** The space pirate muttered helplessly in her mind. Washu silently put a hand down on the soft cushion, "Why didn't you tell me?" Ryoko flinched, **Because I'd forgotten about it…until a few moments ago after looking at that picture of you and your first son…** she replied, just a softly as before. The scientist allowed her gaze to lower, "I see… That's why you can't remember anything." Ryoko looked up eagerly, **you…do?** Washu nodded, "It's simple really. Though it was pretty clever of him to think of this…" she strayed off. Ryoko slammed a fist down onto her bed, not in frustration, but in eagerness, **what is it? C'mon I wanna know!** She cried mentally, causing Washu to jump a bit. Her ever-watchful gaze looked back up at her, "Ryoko. It is simple, but it's not something I can fix in five seconds. It's something that might take months to figure out!" Ryoko bit her lip. "He did this very cleverly, so that if you even started to remember anything before him, the device in your brain and heart would cause you enough hurt to make you forget again. The more you try to gain control again, the more it's going to hurt! So…" she calmed down, "Just stop fighting it, you'll feel a lot less pain. That's one reason it didn't hurt as much when you found out I was your mother, your emotions were controlling you, not your head," Washu sucked in a breath of air, and sighed in relief as Ryoko's shaking died down, and then was no more. The scientist cracked her fingers, shame Ryoko wasn't going to remember her half-brother again, even if she did like to avoid the subject. 

                Ryoko was sleeping again, and her grip on herself had loosened a great deal, and she had started breathing again. Washu smiled and picked her up gingerly, she was a lot less heavy than she looked, so she could hold her in one hand and pull the blanket out with the other. Setting her back down, she pulled the covers over her daughter. And then she stared, then reached and pulled a clock out of nowhere, then read the time. 2:32 a.m. "Holy…it's early!" she whispered roughly, throwing it back into sub space. Stretching again, she walked out of the room and headed straight to hers. Walking through the already open door, but stopped when she heard a slight moan. Walking back toward Ryoko's room, she stood still with her eyes bugged out at what she heard. "Mommy?" Washu almost collapsed with happy tears, it's been too long since she last heard her say that. After regaining her sense of composure, she straightened herself, and talked to her half asleep daughter, "What is it?" Ryoko silently turned so her half open eyes were staring at her drowsily, "Could you stay here, please?" Washu was stunned, but replied, "Yeah, sure!" she was more eager than she sounded. It has been 5000 years since she last had a little sleep over with Ryoko. Sitting on the bed by Ryoko, she asked her what now. "Could ya scratch my back?" her voice said shakily, trying to get comfy. Washu smiled, "Sure thing," and reached out to scratch the sleeping woman's back. Ryoko was smiling full-fledged, hugging her pillow slightly. Washu grinned, and watched the cyan haired woman fall asleep like magic before her eyes. Switching sides of the bed, so she could lean against the wall, she continued to rub her back. After about a half an hour, her eyes drifted closed unconsciously, causing her body to lean against the wall. The scientist grinned with a last thought before drifting back into dreamland, 'Ah, hope Ryoko doesn't hate me in the morning. Hell, she'll probably scream her butt off! Heh-heh-heh,' 

                Washu smiled at the thought, and drifted into never-never land.

                The next morning…

                Sasami opened her drooping eyes and found them facing a black wall, which was…furry? Shrieking loudly, she plopped the covers off, and heard a loud shrill of a meow. The little princess looked at the ground, and saw a tiny cabbit massaging her bumped head. "Ryo-ohki! You're all right!" she dried out, and picked up the confused fur ball. Sasami hugged her close, and scratched her head. She lifted her out in front of her, a look of concern written all over her face, "Are you okay?" She didn't answer. Sasami continued to stare at her, "Can you hear me?" No answer. "WASHUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!" the little girl cried, practically breaking all the vases and such inside the miniature house. Inside Ryoko's room, both the scientist and the space pirate fell out of bed, landing two feet away from each other on the ground. Sasami came rushing toward the thump they made, and almost threw the door off its' hinges. The cabbit was on her head, still looking around confused. Washu barely got up before being shoved back down again by Sasami. "Washu? What's wrong with Ryo-ohki? She doesn't seem to hear a single word I say!" the scientists' eyes were still half asleep, but replied anyways, "Door…hit brain…hearing sense gone…deaf awhile…" she muttered, still unable to find smart words to say. Ryoko shoved herself up and started chuckling loudly. Sasami glared, "Now what in the name of Tsunami are you laughing about Ryoko?" the space pirate couldn't answer, and Washu was still struggling to stay awake after last nights' encounter. The cyan haired woman calmed down long enough to answer, "Heh-heh-heh-heh, the number one genius scientist in the universe? At a loss of words? Oh good lord," she cracked up again, now at Washu's full attention. "What did you say, missy? As I recall, I wasn't the one who, _invited her mother into her room to stay for the night, was I, Little Ryoko?"_

                The pirate immediately shut-up.

                Sasami giggled at their tantrum, and turned to leave with her playmate to start breakfast. After she was gone, Ryoko phased in front of her mother, "Don't tell! I was half-awake!" Washu shrugged at her incompetence at times, "Fine then, I won't tell. But since when do you trust me with your secrets, ay?" she asked, leaning against the wall. The pirate put her arms down, and sat to the ground, "Since…now I guess," 

                "Oh really?"

                "Yes really!"

                "Really-really?"

                "Shut-up!"

                Washu smiled, this was going somewhere… Ryoko stared deep into her emerald pools, causing the scientist to shudder at her golden ones. "Why you shuddering? Scared of me all of a sudden?" Washu tore her gaze away, and muttered the first name that came in mind, 

                "Zero…"

                The zero half of her smiled, "Good job! I knew you'd get to tell the difference sooner or later!" The scientist took it as a compliment, "Then… It's been you this whole time, hasn't it?" Zero shook her head, "No, only since last night when Ryoko, claimed, she was half-asleep," Washu shook her head in amusement, "It is almost finished then,"

                "What do you mean?"

                "I mean that your assimilation is almost complete, you are now entering your final stages."

                "Stages?"

                "Yes, stages. You think it was done on the day octopus head was captured?"

                "Well…no."

                "Good, because it takes a hundreds of years for any normal being to reach their final stages."

                "So I'm not normal?"

                "Of course you are, I just built it so you could speed up assimilations' if ever needed,"

                "So what happens when its' done?"

                  "Just like Sasami, you will have a complete memory, along with being one united being, and not two fighting for control."

                "I see…"

                Washu stretched yet again, and hopped out of bed, but sat back down because of still being stiff from that night. Ryoko, or rather, Zero, watched her curiously, cracking her neck as well. The scientist finished stretching and looked back into Zero's eyes, "I'd like to talk with Ryoko, if you don't mind," the woman blinked her eyes, and the lighter shade of gold came back. "God that stunk!" was all she could say under her mothers' watchful eyes. "Ryoko, I need to ask you something, it's been nagging at my mind since yesterday, and I need an honest answer, don't hide it with your pride; all right?" she asked softly, crossing her legs. Ryoko nodded. And Washu continued, "Are you, _jealous, of anybody? I need an honest to god answer," she quickly added, noticing she was tensing up. The scientist waited for a while, then nearly crapped her pants as her voice startled her from the silence,_

                "Yes, I truly am,"

                Washu's eyes bugged out, "Really? Who?" Ryoko opened her eyes and stared daggers into her, "You said one question. And you asked three. But before I go, I need to ask you something also," Washu turned to stare at her still daughter, why would she need her help? Of all people. "What do you think is the best way for winning Tenchi's heart?" The scientist was more surprised than ever, even when Ryoko apologized to her the day before yesterday. "Well?" her voice interrupted. Washu snapped her head back in her daughters' direction, "Why are you asking me?" Ryoko was struggling to suppress her emotions, she could see that clearly, "B-because you're the only one around here besides Mr. Pervert that's been in a serious relationship," Washu had to hide her giggles at Nobiyuki being called Mr. Pervert, that's a new one. "What about Lord Katsuhito?" she asked, trying to see all the details. "Mo-Washu! You know fool well I don't want anything to do with him! Sure, we've both softened up a bit over the years; but that doesn't change the fact the I'm freaking sc- That he's the one who sealed me up!" Washu was surprised to see that her daughter was struggling desperately for words that wouldn't ruined her pride in any way. Putting a hand on her trembling shoulder, Washu answered and stated, "Ryoko, you don't have to act like one weak word you say is going to make me make fun of you, and severing your pride greatly. I won't do that. Ayeka probably would, but I wouldn't. She always was the royal pain in the ass around here. Plus, the answer to your question is simple, but let me ask you one thing before I answer." She stopped to see if Ryoko was okay with it, then continued,

"How hard exactly have you been trying to win his heart?" Ryoko sucked up all her breath and immediately answered, "Every damned thing I can think of! I've tried everything!" Washu nodded, "Exactly, that's your problem, smack dab in front of you. You've been trying so hard, you forget yourself, trust me; this happened to me so many times, it had to be countless times a guy has run away from me. So, what I propose you do, is to stop trying. And be yourself!" Ryoko stopped trembling, and started to see the truth in her words. Washu continued on, "And by being yourself, you'd be acting almost like the kind-hearted, seventeen year old I parted with 5000 years ago…" the pirate noticed that her mom was the one trembling now, and tried to do the best she could, as she did to herself, the former known. Space-pirate Ryoko, the demon caller. "Mom, I'm still the same person on the inside, you know…" Washu looked at her standing teenage daughter she was so very proud of. Her emotions went crazy, and morphed to adult and back in a few seconds. Ryoko was shocked, as was Washu, "Wow…Sure has been a long time since that happened," the scientist muttered, ruffling up the baggy clothes she had on. The pirate suddenly realized why Washu had always worn clothes five times too big, "So…happened in the past?" she asked, Washu nodded, "Of course! When you were out of that birth chamber, my heart did flips, and I transformed to child and adult so many times, you thought it was a game. So I started wearing big clothes that fit my adult form, then when you wanted to play with me, I'd do that. You wouldn't know how many times you begged me to do so, heh-heh, kind of like a faraway dream now…" her voice trailed off.

                Ryoko's eyes softened a bit, "And about last night…Thanks," she said it rather quickly though. The scientist smiled big, then tried her limits, "Can I have a hug then?" Ryoko was speaking even before she had a chance to think, "Yeah, su-" she was cut off by Washu's now adult form clutching her close, making up for 5000 years lost time. Ryoko wasn't even thinking before she wrapped her arms around her mother also, not even caring…almost. Unknown to Ryoko, Sasami was still watching them, smiling at their reactions toward each other, she didn't even mind when Washu insulted her older sister, not that she didn't deserve to be criticized every once in a while. While hugging Ryoko close, Washu faced the youngster, and mouthed her to go back to her room before Ryoko saw. Too bad she already knew, well…sorta. Ryoko smiled to the wall as she listened to her mothers' mind, apparently forgetting the link went both ways, again. **It's all right, mom. I don't mind…** she said quietly into her mind, feeling her mother jerk slightly beneath her grip. **How'd you figure it out?** She called back, releasing Ryoko. The pirate smiled, "Well, duh…I can't believe you forgot again," she wasn't stopping there, just before Sasami disappeared, she went on, "Sasami, you can stay here if you like, it's not my intention to make you leave," Ryoko said, still not turning around.

                Sasami giggled and walked back into the room, "Well then, Ryoko. Seems like you've caught up on a few things, now haven't we?" the blood quickly rushed to her cheeks, causing Washu to smile before her. The princess went on, "Why don't you turn around? Your face can't be that red can it?" Ryoko's cheeks blushed more. She wasn't stopping there, "Hehehehe, Ryoko. You're such a kind person, w-whoa!" she cried as Ryoko phased behind her and tickled her, just as Washu had did yesterday. Ryo-ohki jumped off Sasami's head before clawing her, and rushed to her creator. Washu opened her arms as the cabbit jumped straight into her arms, hugging her closer than ever. However, Sasami's shrieks were continuing, only making Ryoko clutch harder. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! RYOKO STOP IT!!! I-I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!! AHHHHHH!! I'M GONNA THROW UP!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" the scientist smiled even more as Ryoko set Sasami down, then asked her if she was okay. The little princess smiled, "Of course I am! Oh yeah! I made breakfast for you guys, it's on the table." They both nodded and followed her silently to the tiny kitchen. Ryo-ohki transformed into her adult stage and rubbed her temple, the redhead looked over, then asked Ryoko to ask if she was okay. She did, and Washu found out that she shouldn't transform for a while, at least not this week, she should wait until the shock from hitting her brain went away.

                Ryo sighed and sat down, guessing that if she were to get used to staying in that form, it would be now. **It's all right, you'll get used to it after a few days, I promise.** Ryoko said mentally, shoving some egg role down her throat. The humanized cabbit sighed again, and took a carrot Sasami had given her and snapped it into little pieces, eating rather slowly. The younger princess didn't say much over breakfast, just sat by her playmate, watching her eat slowly. Ryoko was done before anyone had their first serving done, and was clearing off her dishes, then started talking to her mother. "So… You like your room?" Washu choked on her food, "Of **course** I do! Makes a great place to put all my pictures I keep in my lab! And the scientists' pictures you put up were awesome, thank you!" Ryoko smiled, "Thought so… When do you think we should head back? It's getting kind of late, the others' might get all screwy," Sasami looked at her eyes curiously, "Oh, I'm sure you're just might antsy to go over there and piss off Ayeka, aren't ya?" Washu started laughing at her statement, Ryoko started fuming, "I have absolutely no intention to go piss off your sister. If you must know, Washu was gonna fix my…my…er, never mind," the scientist kept on laughing, despite the fact she had called her by her name again. Ryo-ohki was finished and was having a heated conversation with her sister, **damn, you almost blew your cover with Sasami, though it would have been a load off your chest, that's for sure.**

                Ryoko stared at her little sister in disbelief, **I thought you were deaf!** The cabbit rolled her eyes, **Nope, if I concentrate hard enough, I can hear things, and see things, through you; that's why I was so darn quiet.** The cyan haired space pirate nodded, half understanding. Washu broke the silence, "Well then, I have to say. You guys are pretty clever in making this house in private, I have to admit; I was starting to get suspicious about where you were going all those late nights. Whose idea was it?" Sasami raised her hand, "I thought about it with Ryo-ohki's help when we both saw this huuuuge cage of branches, you know, the one's that are surrounding this house?" the scientist nodded, "Well, we thought about a private tree house we could keep to ourselves until we wanted to tell everybody. You see, we wanted it to be for everybody from the start," Washu nodded again, "And then we asked Ryoko for help, because I heard she was the one who thought of the idea for Ryo-ohki," 

                Ryoko's jaw dropped to the floor.

                "I did?!?!?!" she shrieked, jerking heavily in her seat. Washu set a hand on her shoulder, "Of course you did, I didn't approve of it at first, but then you showed me a picture of what she would look like if I ever did let you help make her. You were talking a mile a minute, and were completely obsessed on the idea until you asked Kagato, he hung around our house sometimes; you know? And with his help, you guys talked me into it, what I didn't know was that he only worked with you because once Ryo-ohki was finished. Hoo-boy, he took you two and were up and outta there before I could count to three! Besides, do you remember that you used to be just a regular rabbit, Ryo?" the cabbit nodded, listening through Ryoko again. Washu turned back to Ryoko, "What you did with Chibi was really sweet of you Ryoko, first you gave it your energy, then you assimilated it with Ryo-ohki, giving her the appearance of a rabbit, all because it made Tenchi happy to see it healthy," (Yes, this really happened. Tenchi found a beaten up cat on the road and named it Chibi. Though he nursed it, the little kitty wouldn't make it, so Ryoko gave some of her energy to it, causing it to live. But of course it had a downfall, when Ryoko was released, the cat died. So when Ryo-ohki had to be reborn, Ryoko decided to assimilate it with her Ryo-ohki. Giving Ryo the appearance of a cabbit. All right, I found this on an official Tenchi Muyo! Web page, so don't go cussing at me for saying I made it up!)  Sasami smiled happily at the former space pirate, then continued, "So when I asked her, she said she'd love to. And then started helping us build it," the scientist grinned, "One more thing I'd like to know. Who made the blueprint? You didn't make as you went did you?" Ryoko shook her head, "I made the blueprint, I've got it in my room if you want to see it,"

                Washu nodded eagerly, and the space pirate phased to her room quickly, a loud crash could be heard, along with a nice, loud cuss, then reappeared in front of her mother; handing her a large sheet of paper. Washu rolled her eyes and decided not to ask what the noise was for, certainly wasn't needed in front of an eight year old, or, so she looked. The scientist opened the rolled up piece of paper and thought her eyes were deceiving her. "Holy shit Ryoko! Where'd you learn how to do this kind of blueprinting?!" the space pirate jumped at her shriek, then started beaming proudly, "Well, DER. I love blueprinting! That's what I do when I'm, like, on the verge of totally going insane! I god damn love it to death!" she sucked in a large whiff of air and sat back down on her bottom. Washu returned to the paper and loved what she saw, words bigger than two syllables everywhere! And the artwork was a-m-a-z-ii-n-g!!! Beams right where they should be, little phrased telling exactly what to do when and where. It was basically a step-by-step architecture, but by far more advanced. Her little Ryoko was still there! "Hey Ryoko? How many more these you got?" she asked, closing the spectacular paper, but noticing it felt kind of rubbery. Ryoko smiled proudly, "I got millions of 'em! Some I even wrote before I was abducted! I suppose you're wondering how I hid all of them, ay?" Washu's eyes bugged out, "Really? Wow, I had no idea! Oh yeah, how did you keep them from my sensors and his?" the space pirate took in another whiff of air, "Well, you know the Massu?" she nodded, "Well, I took a thin layer of cells from them and rubbed in all over my papers, that's why Kagato never found them, a massu's readings don't appear on any kind of sensor! Remember that time when you were talking to me mentally and it looked like I was writing diddlysquat on the floor?" Washu nodded yet again, "Well, I was doing a blueprint on how to improve the onsen. Ever wonder how that big floating thing got there? I made it! I made it because I still had a bottle full of massu cells, so I just used them on the blueprint, went out of earth, claiming I was on errands, and got the supplies on a backwater planet a little more advanced than this one, so they wouldn't recognize me,"

                Washu was so surprised at her daughter's words she didn't even notice that Ryoko had phased out of the room and back with a handful of paper. Sitting on the ground again, she set the rolls in front of Washu, who was staring into space. Sasami wasn't too surprised about Ryoko's statement, she'd seen some of the blueprints herself when she came to earth, but Ryoko didn't trust as much then, because she was a princess, but they soon became like sisters. Ryo-ohki smiled at her sister, Washu was still staring into space. Ryoko picked up the rest of the stale dishes and put them in the sink, and phased back. And you know what?

Washu was still staring into space, funny, huh?

Author's Notes: Hehehehe, who'd have thought that Ryoko would be a fine blue printer person? I did, cause it was my idea! Ryoko's constructing of the tree house is going to make an appearance to the other peeps soon enough. Now, getting them out of that tree house… Hm, I have to think on that one. Oh yeah! Diana inspired part of having a tree house. Her stories kick major ass man! Anyways, enough of my pointless ranting, I hope you're enjoying my fic!


	4. Overhead, Rings the Thunder

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! And all its' characters belong to Pioneer LDC.

__

Her deft hand shown with finger rings

Among the hairlike spread of strings.

She caught the pieces end to end

And, with a touch that never missed,

Not so much tied as made them blend.

Man's ingenuity was good.

He saw it plainly where he stood,

Yet found it easy to resist.

(Part four of, 'A Lone Striker' by Robert Frost)

Quick Pre-notes: All right, time to get to business; the first few chapters have been all peaceful, right? Well, this one's gonna change, count me on that. My other fic on Tenchi Muyo! "Washu's Journal," is coming out great! I'll post the first chapter coming few days, and if you guys like it, I'll do her other, twenty thousand years of life, hopefully by then, I'd have seen "Hello Baby!" and "Here Comes Jurai" again, since the last time I saw them was about a year ago. Too long to remember. So, this one might be a little depressing if you like…Hehehehe, you'll see.

All Alone (part 4)

It'd been a few days since the incident at the treehouse, Ryoko came back to the house after they had gotten Washu to snap out of her trance of surprise the space pirate had made while telling her she'd loved blueprinting for the longest time. Sasami had gotten over the shock of Ryo being deaf, and had come back to the house with Ryoko. Ryo-ohki, well, you could say she was as good as ever, despite the fact she was trapped in her adult form for a while. Anyways, everything was going out great! Except for one person…

Washu.

_"Dear Journal,_

You can't imagine how crappy I feel right now! Ryoko just told me that she'd loved blueprinting! She always has! I forgot about it and she told me about it the other day. I can't believe I hadn't remembered that she was obsessed with designing stuff when she was younger. Anyways, I tried fixing her tastebuds today; she's still in here. I haven't been able to give her the ability to read back though. Her brain is just like an endless maze of memories, mine would be probably much more complicated than hers and probably never would be able to find the center. Like I said, Ryoko's been pissed at me because I keep asking to talk to Zero or herself. I need to do that to make sure both entities are functioning properly. Damn, still can't believe I freaking forgot! My body transformed from grown-up to child and back again so fast my head was buzzing by the time I got enough conscious to write in you. Ryo's been a little sad, but makes up for it by listening and watching through little Ryoko's eyes. Ryoko has totally locked up the mental connection again, I can't speak a thing to her unless I force it open, but I won't do that. She has a right to lock it up, it's not like she has any privacy anymore, not that I couldn't talk to her while I trapped in the Soja. I have to go, Ryoko's gonna blow up a machine if I don't let her out soon."

The scientist sighed and pressed a button, and the screen disappeared, leaving the silence to her. Well, you could say silence, maybe if you were used to shutting out Ryoko's minute screams every few hours. Washu got up and took a look around her, seeing if she could find her daughter in eyeshot. "Ryoko?" she called out, stuffing her dirty hands in her pockets. Nobody answered. She sighed again and brought up a search engine of hers, then pressed another button gently, for not using this thing in a few thousand years. A light gray screen popped up on the monitor, showing her searching eyes that Ryoko had gotten into her old quarters. Washu smiled inwardly, hoping it to bring back memories of working in her own quarters in her lab. The scientist smacked herself in stupidity, "She won't remember, she might even be in severe pain right now!" she cried out and phased to that part of the huge lab. 

Meanwhile…

"They sure have been in there for a while, I wonder what's going on…" Tenchi asked himself, wondering if he should go in there, but decided against it. Ayeka was folding laundry, so she didn't hear him whisper a worry about Ryoko. The black haired man sighed, and turned his gaze on the blank t.v. Screen. Sasami hadn't cooked since she got back from wherever she went, so it didn't pay to ask what was for dinner tonight. The half-breed rolled his eyes, and reached out for his book on how to handle your temper. At first he thought it was silly, since his father had given it to him in front of all the girls, then forced him to read it. Washu had been the only one who hadn't teased him after he'd gotten it, and he was kinder toward her for that. He learned how the scientist handled her temper better, by thinking of a loved one. Tenchi bet it would be Ryoko she thought of when she almost burst her bubble; then again, it could be Ryo-ohki. The young man sighed again, and continued reading.

He was about half way through when a buzzing sound filled his ears. Stopping in his spot, he looked around himself, wondering what that faint buzzing sound was. He shrugged it off and continued reading, trying to shut it off. Ayeka looked up from her folding, "Lord Tenchi? Is something wrong?" He looked up from his book, "Ah, just have this buzzing sound in my ear, won't go away." He eyes shifted back to the page. The Jurian Princess shrugged, and then put the rest of the clothes in the basket, "Lord Tenchi? Do you have any idea what happened to Sasami? She hasn't been her usual cheery self lately," Tenchi shrugged and put the book down, "I've no idea. The other day I saw her running across the fields crying, she looked like she had something in her arms. Anyway, she was headed toward the sakura orchard. I tried to catch up, but she was too far ahead. So I gave up after getting lost in the cherry blossoms again," Ayeka nodded, "That thing she was holding was Ryo-ohki. Ryoko said she knew where she went, but she also said that it was Sasami's secret, so I didn't pester he about it and went up to my room,"

Tenchi put a hand to his chin and thought for a moment, "Well, if that's Sasami's secret hideout, I guess I can't bother her. I've got my own, you see. Ryoko knows where that is though," the princess grumbled inwardly, "Seems the woman knows a lot of secret hideouts. She even said Sasami willingly told her about it. I'm her sister! Why didn't she tell me?" The half earthling stared into her red eyes, "Well, it's nice to keep things from your siblings sometimes, I mean. Sasami doesn't know that Funaho is your hideout, does she? And anyway, maybe she told Ryoko because she sees more of herself in her than you do, Ayeka," he ended and waited for a snide comment about Sasami not seeing anything in her except a demon woman. To his surprise, she looked…shocked. "Miss Ayeka?" his voice seemed to drive her back to reality. Dusting the lint off herself, she forced a smile at him, "Well, that may be true, Lord Tenchi. That may be true," she got up and walked outside, heading in the direction of the holy tree of the Masaki shrine.

Tenchi looked at her hard before getting up himself and walking toward the shrine, just to pay grandpa an extra visit.

Up at the shrine, Sasami was pouring her heart out to her brother Yosho, who had dropped his disguise. "I-I'm sorry for laying all this stuff on your shoulders," an exhilarated Sasami whimpered weakly while wiping away her tears and looking at them. Yosho took this all calmly, and put his arm around his sisters' shoulders, "Well, I have to ask you something, Sasami," he asked quietly, letting her finish her story. After a while of sniffling, she gazed at his young face, "W-What is it Yosho?" he faced her, "Well, you say Ryo-ohki is deaf and stuck in her adult body for a week? I think you shouldn't let it get to you. Why don't you teach her how to write? Or ask Washu to put a translator on you so you can understand something she says." Sasami's eyes brightened, "You really think she'd let me have one?" he nodded, "Of course, why don't you go ask right now?" she nodded and got up, "Thank you Yosho," and ran out with Ryo holding her hand tightly. Katsuhito smiled and put his mask back on, "Ah, kids…"

Washu looked around herself, noticing that it got quiet all of a sudden. After five minutes of nothing, she walked in the direction that the monitor told her to go. It was pitch black, as usual, and there was only one light in the distance and a door to her left which led to Ryoko's old quarters. The scientist walked to the door and stood beside it, with her ear pressed firmly against it. Inside, there was a noise of Ryoko shuffling wildly, not knowing that Washu had dropped the shield that made her unable to use her powers. The space pirate looked around herself curiously, looking for a switch or something that turned some lights on. She quietly hummed a tune to herself that just came to her when she entered this room. She backed up and hit the wall on accident, causing a hard blow to the head, "OW! Where the hell did that wall come from?" she asked to the air, fingering her numbing head.

She turned around and stared at the wall, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. Not much appeared before her, just a little thing shaped like a tube. She reached out and touched it, caressing it lightly. Her fingers trailed themselves to a rough surface. Confused, the space pirate took her other hand and tugged it. The part came loose in a matter of seconds; a few other things fell also, bonking her on the head. She cursed herself lightly, and then blinked blindly as lights appeared automatically. She arched one of her eyebrows in curiosity. Then shrugged and walked to a table, now illuminated from the blinding light. After she got there, she set it down and examined it, brushing and blowing dust off here and there. She traced her fingers over the rough surface again and looked at it. Ryoko turned it slightly so she could see it clearly. "Masu… Was this how Ryo was created?" she asked herself. "As a matter of fact… yes," Ryoko jumped out of her skin when she heard Washu's voice. "Washu! The heck was that for?" Ryoko asked, turning to face her. "Well, you asked a question. It's not in my nature to ignore it," Ryoko made a mock sigh and turned back around.

She fumbled with the object for a few seconds, and then looked at the rough texture again. "What's this?" she asked, pointing to the scribbling for lettering. "That's the language we used to speak. It's called Deltan," "What's it say?" Washu walked up and brushed the dirt off the words, "It's quite sloppy, and you weren't the best at writing back in those days." Ryoko grumbled under her breath. "It says, 'Ryoko's Handy Dandy Workshop,'" the scientist laughed at the quote, "It's been a while since I've read that off something," the cyan haired woman stared for a second, and then returned her gaze back to the object. Then something clicked, "Hey! I remember now! There's some writing like this on the bottom of the onsen. I was confused why I scribbled it down at first, but now I know!" "You did huh?" Ryoko nodded, "Yup," Washu laughed. "Well, I bet the people outside are starving, want to make dinner tonight?" Ryoko slapped herself, "Geez! I totally forgot! I'll go do it right now!" she cried out and rushed to the exit.

The red head pouted for a few seconds, then cried out, "Aw, damn! And she was just softening up, too. Damn," she muttered then walked out of the room, shutting off the lights.

Tenchi came back to the house with Sasami in his arms, fast asleep. He walked to the couch and set her down, pulling a blanket over gently. He almost fell on top of her when the lab door swung open. Ryoko didn't pay any attention to him and rushed to the kitchen. The half-breed stood there, dazed by her behavior, 'what the hell? She didn't choke me! Er… Why do I care? This is great!' he smiled and returned to his seat, picking up his book again. 

Ryoko flew into the kitchen, picking up a cookbook on the way to the kitchen. She flipped through the pages until she decided on a simple miso soup and some salad; she didn't exactly want to make anything difficult at the moment. The space pirate phased to the fridge: took out some ingredients and went to cooking. Ayeka came back into the house after a half an hour of sitting at the roots of the holy tree and was startled to find the house smelling of soup and her sister sleeping silently on the couch; with Ryo-ohki sitting next to her. The princess wandered into the kitchen; nearly choking when she saw Ryoko chopping food. "Ah! What're you doing, pirate?! Trying to poison us?" she shrieked. The cyan haired woman turned around and met her fierce gaze, then turned back to her food, "Hmph, I'm not the one who ate the "pirates" cooking last night. Sasami's sleeping, so I'm making dinner tonight; if that bothers you so much. Then go starve yourself in your room," she continued chopping.

Ayeka stood there, her jaw dropped. That's when Tenchi came to the rescue before anything blew up, "Hey, Ayeka? Why don't we sit down and watch a show or something?" he asked nervously, putting a hand on the back of his head and smiling weakly. "I'd _love _to, Lord Tenchi!" she cried, and walked out of the room. Ryoko tensed up after Tenchi left the room, and cut her veggies a little more harshly; pretending they were Ayeka's head. "Pssh, stupid princess," she picked up the food and dropped it in the pot rather sloppily. Ryoko went over to the next batch and made some simple salad; enough for everybody to have seconds if they wanted. The summoner sat against the wall for a bit, letting her sensitive ears pick up a sniffling Ayeka from the other room. "Probably some romance thing… Sheesh," she didn't hear anything else except Tenchi flipping through the pages of his book, probably not paying any attention to the soap at all. Ryoko walked back to the pot and stirred the soup for a bit, then let it heat up for a bit more (I have absolutely NO knowledge in cooking AT ALL, so if the directions are all messed up it's my fault). 

Another half hour went by and everyone was seated at the table, minus Sasami and Mihoshi; whom were both sleeping early. Ayeka was eating the food through pursed lips, though the pirate could tell she was enjoying it. Washu was seated by the side of Ryoko, and Tenchi was on her other; leaving Ryo-ohki to sit with Nobiyuki. The scientist was only staring at her food; taking a few bites now and then. Ryoko was the first to question her, **what's up? Something eating your tongue?** Washu almost dropped her spoon when she heard her, **Oh! No, just thinking,** the redhead took a few bites from her bowl. Ryoko arched her eyebrows, but didn't bother her about it. Tenchi didn't make any sounds, but blushed a little when Ayeka started advancing on him. Washu's eyes set themselves on her daughter; who was fighting herself mentally to keep her temper down. **Just ignore it, pretend she's flirting with a big fat guy or something;** Ryoko spit out her food when she heard it, and started laughing. All eyes turned on her, "What're you laughing about, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, trying desperately to shove off Ayeka, who was seemingly drunk. The pirate blushed, "Um… Nothing." She mumbled. **Heh, didn't think you'd laugh on that,** Washu exclaimed mentally, planting a big smile on her face. **You keep forgetting that only Sasami knows about this mental stuff we've got. Maybe Mihoshi, but she's too much of a bubble brain to think she'd remember,** The space pirate nodded, and sipped up the rest of her soup.

Ryoko took her dishes and put them on the sink; then cleaned up the kitchen before phasing to the roof. She didn't lean back like she usually did, this time she looked around the forest like she did a couple of days ago. Nothing was different, except the trees were blowing more than usual in the summer. She heard someone pop up behind her, then turned around; and as she expected, there was her mother. "Hey, Ryoko," Washu said quietly. "Mind if I join?" "No, go right ahead," the pirate sat down with her legs crossed, the scientist did the same. "So… Anymore nightmares lately?" Washu asked after a few minutes silence. Ryoko answered meekly, "Sort of. Same thing exactly though," The redhead nodded, "Okay then, thanks for telling," "Whatever…" Washu eyed her daughter curiously, "How did Ayeka get drunk, exactly?" The pirate snorted, "I drugged her, snuck some sake into her part; kind of funny if you ask me," they both laughed.

After minutes of trying, he finally managed to get Ayeka off his back and run to his room, holding the door shut with all his strength he could muster up. "Lord Tenchiiiiii! (hic!) Let m-me iiiiinnnnn! (hiccup!)" she cried out, banging against the door. "I said NO!" he cried, and slid the door open abruptly; causing her to fall and bump her head. The half-breed sighed meekly and carried her to her room, setting her onto the futon. He wiped his brow, "Sheesh, one minute she's sipping soup and the next…" he hung his head and walked out of the room, and back into his. Tenchi walked over and plopped onto his bed, leaning against the wall. He could hear Ryoko outside doing whatever, but he let the curiosity get to him and he glanced outside the window, his eyes nearly popping out when he saw that she was on the roof. He hopped up and ran to the window, trying to hide the fact that he was watching.

"Wow… Washu and Ryoko are actually getting along," he whispered, and walked back to his bed. "Man, this is weird. Am I missing something or did this happen over night?" he banged his head against the wall, "I am so DENSE!" he got up and ran downstairs, running through the broken widow pane. After he was outside, we walked back a bit so he could see a little better, "Hey Ryoko! What'cha doin up there?" he called, startling the two chatting. The summoner blushed once she saw him, "Oh, nothing! In case you haven't noticed, I've been sleeping here for the past six months!" the words chopped him up, 'My God! I forgot to give her a room!' he started cursing himself, then shouted back up, "You want a room?" her face suddenly looked fearful for a second, but it disappeared so quick he doubted it, "No thanks!" Washu stared at her, **Why don't you want one?** Ryoko looked the other way, **I just don't, got a problem?** The scientist shook her head, **No, I think I'll go, looks like he wants to talk to you, **the redhead winked mischievously and phased off.

"Why don't you come down here?" the half-breed cried out. Before he could reply, the summoner was right by his side. "What?" Tenchi crossed his eyes for a second, "Um, want to go for a walk?" Ryoko gagged for a second, "Nani?!" he smiled, "You want to go for a walk? I figure it's only fair because I did something with Ayeka this afternoon, you know?" she nodded nervously, "But you weren't paying any attention to her soap…" "Ah, I can't stand those things, too melodramatic; ya think?" The pirate nodded, "You bet! They make me want to barf! (A.N. This show isn't a soap thing, but the show 'Boy Meets World' it drives me nuts! Disney SUX!) Tenchi smiled, "All right, let's go," he said quietly and took her hand. She looked from his eyes and back to his hand as he tugged her along, causing her to blush slightly. "Tenchi… You're acting weird today," she stated after walking for a few minutes.

"I am? How so?" Ryoko shrugged, "Well, yesterday you wouldn't even let me into a one foot radius around you. Did this happen overnight?" he laughed, "No. Maybe I just realized my feelings," "Huh?" she asked, clueless to his speaking. He let go of her hand and shoved her against the tree, "Ryoko! I love you!" her eyes widened in surprise. "Wha-" she was stopped by his lips pressing roughly against her own. 'The hell is going on?' 

A loud, buzzing sound filled her ears, feeling a cool object rub against her skin. Some small fingers pinched her cheek and pulled, followed by some quiet laughter after she snapped her eyes open. "SHIIIIIITTTTT!!!!!!!!!!" Ryoko cried, and hopped up from her position on the wall. "Watch your tongue!" Washu's sharp voice woke her up. The summoners amber eyes looked around the room, noticing she was back in the kitchen. "The hell…?" she picked up the alarm clock from the floor, and read it, "4:35? Washu! Why this early?" the scientist shrugged, "That was some dream you had; Tenchi was acting weird!" Ryoko blushed. "I won't tell! It was kinda funny though, you drugging Ayeka and all that," "Yeah well… When'd I fall asleep?" 

"As soon as you sat down by the wall, I finished dinner last night,"

"You?"

"Duh, Sasami was asleep and I was the only one here besides Nobiyuki who can cook something edible,"

"…"

"You didn't starve while I raised you, you know,"

"Oh."

"Did they like it?"

Washu shrugged, "I dunno. Ayeka didn't give a crap, and Tenchi thought you cooked it," the summoner let her eyes half close. "Why exactly did you wake me up?" she asked after a moment of silence. "Heh, I'm not gonna let poor little Ryoko get all those dirty thoughts in her head," Washu said, pretending to have a sad look on her face. "Pssh," was all Ryoko said before standing up and stretching. Washu got up as well, "Well, if you're gonna go to sleep again; go right ahead. I'm gonna go for a walk," the scientist cracked her fingers, "Wanna come?" Ryoko shrugged, "All right. At least I know you won't shove me into a tree and kiss me, ick!" the redhead laughed, "Okay, let's go!" she phased them out to the lake.

The cyan haired woman didn't say much, just answered a few questions now and then, trying to not tense up when her mother tried to scoot up next to her. "So… When you meant, 'dirty thoughts', do you mean you think he was gonna do… _that?_" the pirate asked after walking with her without a word. "I was only joking; plus, Sasami was starting to wake up; so I decided to get you out of there before she screamed her guts out when she saw you sleeping,"

Ryoko rolled her eyes, "Whatever," the scientist stretched, then put her short arms behind her neck. "It's kind of awkward, walking next to my daughter as a twelve year old," her daughter scoffed, "Yea, you just now noticed that?" the redhead shook her head, "…Nooo! I didn't, you didn't look like you cared either way," Ryoko didn't move. Washu went to her adult state without question; rising an inch above her daughter's head, "Woo! That feels better," The pirates amber eyes examined the place before her, walking along with her mother as she tugged her arm gently.

They stopped walking a half hour after that, and leaned against the stumps that were covered in green moss. Ryoko fell asleep almost immediately; having not slept a good night in a while, leaving Washu just stare at her. A small smile stretched across her face as her daughters light snoring filled the silent air about her. After a while; she hummed quietly, humming the song she hummed for her so long ago. (I've decided on it too, it's the "Love Song" in Japanese at the end of the Tenchi Forever movie, kicks some major butt!)

The sky brightened in color a little in the next hour; birds squawking madly as some of the dim rays hit their nests. The mother of two also fell asleep shortly afterward; ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of the stump.

"Tenchi! Hey Tenchi! Have you seen Ryoko?" Sasami's now cheery voice rang outside his door, hitting the door with her pot. The half-breed grumbled quietly, flinging the blanket off of him and throwing on some descent clothing, since it was Saturday; he didn't have anything to do. The prince walked to the door and knelt down to her size, "No, last time I saw her was when she slammed out of the lab door yesterday; she did dinner you know," the younger girl nodded, "Okay; thanks Tenchi!" she cried out, and ran downstairs quickly. His shoulders slumped, "Guess I'll go find her…" with that, he put on his black coat, combed through his black hair with his fingers, and went outside.

The cold hit him hard, making him shiver a bit after just having brushed his teeth and taken a quick shower. "By god it's cold. Ah well, not as cold as that blanged waterfall, sheesh!" (the waterfall in the first graphic novel of, "No Need For Tenchi!") he walked off before Ayeka could spot him and drag him back inside. First place the successor went was the onsen; carefully covering his eyes so he could only hear her and not _see _her. Tenchi hopped right out of there when there wasn't anybody.

Next place he went to check was her favorite tree, not there either. "Hmm, not many other places… huh?" he silenced himself and listened to the soft snoring a little to his left. Stealthily, he walked over, hopping over twigs and such. Tenchi hopped onto a tree and climbed like a bear, hugging it tightly to his chest. The young man steadied himself on the first stable branch he could sit on. After that, he searched. His brown eyes caught a glance of fiery red hair jutting out in awkward directions as it pressed against the green stump; making it stand out even more.

Tenchi climbed over carefully to the next tree that made him see the clearing better, and sighed when he spotted them. Ryoko and Washu were both fast asleep, by the way he could see the stomachs moving, he guessed that they'd been there for awhile, and judging by the dust that smudged on both of them. They had one heck of a night. (Not in THAT way, pervs) "Well that's good…" Tenchi's foot slipped underneath him, making him fall. He caught hold of the branch before he fell off… but rather late. A scream hissed out of his clenched teeth as he struggled not to fall off the branch.

'Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!' was all he could think of while he balanced himself on the branch. Sputters of air escaped him as he tried desperately to stand back up. His eyes went crossed, and he toppled off the branch. The crunching sound startled Ryoko from her sleep, and turned around to find Tenchi trying to not scream. "Tenchi! You all right?" she asked, phasing next to him. The successor managed to turn his head, and squeak in a small voice, "D-Does it look like I'm _all right_?!" he turned back and knelt back into a ball. Washu stayed asleep. "I'll take you home," Ryoko requested, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

"W-what about Washu?" he asked, still curled up. "Right… Be difficult why don't you," the summoner phased to her mother, nudging her a little. "Ah… What is it?" "I'm gonna take Tenchi home, you coming?" "Yea…. Be there in a minute…" Ryoko grinned and phased back to the curled up man. "Okay, to your room, or the living room? Or the rafters maybe?" "M-my room please," he mumbled, and felt her arms slip around his chest. "Don't move or I'll drop you, okay?" the pirate stated, and disappeared.

Tenchi was in too much pain to care whether she held him close or not, and probably would have found it funny if he looked on it a few years in the future. Ryoko held tight, but not too tight to cause him any more pain; and reappeared beside his bed. She set him down and turned around, "You're welcome," and phased off. Tenchi smiled, "Thank you."

The summoner didn't say very much to her mother while they walked back to the house, seeing that the scientist didn't remember ever replying to her a few minutes before. "And then. Whamo! Hit the branch straight in his balls, poor guy," Washu laughed at her daughter, not seeming to care about the smudges on their faces. Nearby the house, Sasami ran out and greeted them, "Where were you two? I've been looking all over! And Tenchi looks like a freight train just hit him, he's barely walking!"

"Nothings wrong, Tenchi had a little… accident. Anyways, sorry, I-we didn't mean to stay out late," Ryoko scratched the girls' head. The little girl giggled, "Okay then, come and eat! I left some food for you two," they followed her into the house and ate their fill. Ayeka was walking around with Tenchi, helping him when he stumbled. (If you want to know, I have NO idea how much it hurts, I'm a girl, so I'm just guessing from what I see on t.v. I'm not exactly sure if boys can walk after that… incident.) The princess glared at the pirate when she entered the room, "This is all your fault, demon woman! Lord Tenchi is hurting because of YOU!" Ryoko turned around, "Shut the hell up, he had an accident. He wouldn't BE here if I didn't take him to his room,"

Washu looked down at her feet as her daughter phased off again, leaving only her, Ayeka, and hurting Tenchi. "A-Ayeka, it wasn't Ryoko's fault, I-I…" he stumbled again. "You what?" "I lost my footing when I was climbing a tree and landed on a branch… ouch," he plopped down on the couch. The princess stared in disbelief, "Well, if you say so…" and walked off to her room. Washu sighed and sat down next to Tenchi. "No samples today… Please!" he cried out weakly, his face staring at the ceiling. The redhead smiled, "No, I've given up on that. Just want to say thanks for standing up for Ryoko, it means a lot," she got up and walked over to the other couch; flipping on whatever was on.

Mihoshi ran straight to the couch when she heard it turn on; watching intently as the news report flashed across the screen. _"In further news… An unknown spacecraft has been orbiting around the third planet of the abandoned solar system, also known as Earth to most. The galaxy police have been unsuccessful at the present time to stop the ships orbit. It is said to have been one of the ruins buster, Kagato's sidekicks. But it is unknown at the time…" _Washu watched curiously as a picture of the spacecraft was pictured. _"This is believed to be a picture of the craft. Taken by a galaxy police's ship and sent before it was discovered that the craft had indeed, blown up the patrol ship." _

The scientist hmmed for a second, "That ship looks awfully familiar…" the ditz snatched the clicker away and switched it to comedy planet.

Sasami ran out of the house, Ryo running along her side, looking for Ryoko. "Ryoko!" the younger girl called, running toward the lake. A silhouette of the pirate appeared in black at the side of the lake. "What is it, Sasami?" she asked, kneeling down when she ran up. Sasami stopped to catch her breath, "Have you sensed it yet?" the cyan haired pirate arched an eyebrow, "What? That ship?" "Yea." The summoner nodded, "Yup, it's been floating around this planet for a while now."

Ryo-ohki leaned against a tree, crossing her arms as she looked through Ryoko. Ryoko stood to her full height, and pointed to the sky, marking a very faint, silhouette of a space shuttle. "It's been hanging around here for days, whoever's in it is looking for something…" she trailed off. The princess jumped, "C'mon, Ryoko! Let's play! We've been too in the blue, you know?" the pirate smiled, "All right," she touched the child's forehead, "Tag, you're it," and started running. Sasami jumped and started running after her, and Ryo giggled. Ryoko ran ten times slower than she really could; which was about as fast as a bullet. But now she was running about as fast as a little kid would. "You can't catch me! Na, na, na, na, na, na!" 

Washu walked out of the house and sat on the steps; watching them while smiling. Sasami was catching up fast, much to her delight, and managed to tap the summoner on the wrist before stumbling to the ground. "Awww, am I too hard on the little princess?" she asked, resting her hands on her knees, "Tell you what; no tag backs. I'm gonna get Ryo!" she ran off in the direction of the lake. After she saw Ryo-ohki's clueless expression; she screamed in the humanoids brain. **Run you dimwit!** And off they went, like bullets.

Ayeka walked downstairs and saw Tenchi sleeping on the couch, some drool coming out the side. She walked to the kitchen and made a sandwich; which really didn't taste like anything because of her poor hands moving in the exact opposite of the way she wanted. After finishing eating, she walked outside and sat next to Washu; who was laughing at the scene before her. All three of them were caked in mud, for they decided to get the other "it" they had to hit them with a clod of mud. So it was basically a mud fight really. The princess couldn't help but smile at the way her sister looked, blotches of mud slipping down her skin and clothes here and there, and her face full of laughter at the game.

For a second, she wished it were she who had made her that happy. "You can always go out there and play yourself, Ayeka…" Washu said quietly, looking at her face. She jumped for a second, then replied, "Yes, I guess I could…" "You want to?" "Of course! But…" the violet haired woman trailed off. "The kings not here to beat you senseless for getting dirty, you're not even on Jurai! It's not like they'll know. I've got some play clothes if you want to go," her red eyes glimmered, and the redhead snapped her fingers, immediately; Ayeka's clothing went from elaborate, to a simple short skort and a t-shirt. "Thank you, Washu," she made a quick bow and ran off.

The now completely unruled princess snuck into the bushes and grabbed a large glob of mud, letting her old self seep through the barriers the training of a princess had unconsciously set up inside herself. Ayeka snickered quietly and walked out quietly behind the floating Ryoko. Sasami wasn't paying attention to her and was giggling as a rainfall of mud balls appeared in the pirates' hand; making sure they didn't hurt the girl. "C'mon Ryoko! I bet you can't catch me with those muds!" Sasami cried out, waving her hands everywhere. "Ha! You haven't seen the- HEY!" the cyan haired summoner cried out as the large glop of mud hit the side of her face, splashing onto her other clothes as well.

She turned around and faced Ayeka, who was sticking out her tongue and pulling the skin under her eye down. Ryoko smirked playfully, "So the princess finally decided to join, eh? Thought you would." Ayeka placed her hand on her hips, "Nice shot huh?" "Not as good as this one!" Ryoko cried, phasing above her and dumping a bucket of mud on her head. Both Sasami and Ryo-ohki fell onto the damp grass, in fits of ferocious laughter at the sight. To the pirate's surprise, she laughed, laughed like the child she used to be long ago.

"Good one, Ryoko. How's about playing fair and no floating, huh?" the mud was swept away by the gentle sprinkle of rain that had now begun to fall. Ryoko smiled, and phased to the ground; facing her full, "Looks like you've let go. All thanks to my mother!" she cried proudly, and pointed her thumb to Washu, who looked like was running out to play also. Sasami picked up a piece of mud and flung it at Ryoko; who phased just before it hit, making it smack Ayeka's face. The pirate phased back into sight and started laughing at the mud-covered princess, clutching her stomach hard.

Washu was close enough and scooped up a large goop of mud, then flung it quickly at Ryo-ohki. She couldn't help but chuckle quietly when the humanoid fell to the ground as the mud knocked the air out of her. A piece of mud hit the side of her face straight on. "Hey! No fair!" she cried out playfully and tackled Sasami to the ground. "All's fair in mud battles!" Ryoko's voice rang out and a glob of mud hit the back of her head. The scientist hopped off Sasami and faced Ryoko, who was now battling Ayeka to the ground. If anyone planned on visiting Okayama would probably have found this a strange sight indeed.

"Hell, they'd probably think we're insane," Washu muttered, before receiving another blow to the head by Ryo. She shrugged it off and went to deal with the two attacking her.

A half an hour later, they were all sitting by the lake; laughing at each other's jokes. Not even Ayeka could care less about their looks at the moment. After a few minutes of resting, Ryoko jumped up into the air, floating for a second. "What now, Ryoko?" Sasami called out, letting the rain splash against her smiling face. The pirate grinned, "Its still summer isn't it?" Ayeka nodded, "Yea." "All right then,"

She let gravity do its job on her; pushing her down and making her fall into the lake, the splash wetting all of them. "Hey!" the elder princess shrieked, jumping up from her seat. Ryoko's head popped out of the water, spitting out an unlucky fish that got caught in her mouth, "Wanna join? The water's great! The fish are tasty too, yum…" Sasami and Washu laughed, and Ayeka prepared for a dive, "I'm gonna get you for that!" she cried, and dove in. "Uh-uh, you ain't gonna catch me that easy princess!" Ryoko smiled stupidly and dived into the water, swimming deeper… deeper.

Washu rolled her eyes, "That girl…" Sasami jumped up and ran into the water, but not before pulling Ryo back so she could nap better. Mud clouds erupted as soon as all four of them were in, playing, swimming races; the likes! Before long, they'd grown too tired to move a muscle, and climbed out of the lake; otherwise known as a huge swimming pool. Sasami had to be carried by Ryoko, since she kept stumbling every few feet, and Ayeka was struggling to stay awake. Washu woke Ryo-ohki up and they all walked back. Tenchi was the first to greet them, "Hello… Uh, what happened to you guys?" Ryoko grinned under the strain Sasami was putting on her back, "Oh, nothing. We had a little mud-ball fight, shame you didn't join, though you would've gotten creamed."

He smiled, "Is that so? Why don't we do it tomorrow then, I'll show you who'll get creamed!" Washu rolled her eyes and snapped them all into dry clothing. "Let's get to bed, we're gonna need some strength if we're gonna do it tomorrow as well, you know," they all murmured quietly and went in separate directions. "Here, I'll take her for you," Ayeka muttered, pointing toward Sasami. Ryoko smiled, "Yea. Here you go," the small body was lifted from the pirate's shoulders and then she stretched. "Ryoko?" the summoner stared at the princess, "What?" "Thanks a lot, I had a lot of fun tonight," she walked to her room, leaving the pirate clueless.

"Thanking you? You must've done something really nice to her, Ryoko." Tenchi said, smiling toward her. The cyan haired woman blushed, "Ye- We-. She." He put a finger to her lips, silencing her immediately. A warm shiver ran up her spine when she felt it, 'Oh god. I'm probably dreaming again,' she took her hand and pinched her cheek hard enough to feel it. A yelp escaped her lips, and she let her arm fall to her side.

"Checking to see if you're dreaming, huh?" Tenchi asked, smiling again. She hung her head low. "C'mon, I made a little snack, want some?" She stared at him, "Wha- Whe-? What for?" he shrugged, "Just to thank you for this morning." She followed him silently into the kitchen. He went to the fridge and brought out two sandwiches, and handed one to Ryoko. She sat down at the table, and munched on it. "Well, if it's just to thank me. You did. I don't let people who just got their balls crushed just sit there. That's plain cruelty period." He smiled, "Yeah, I guess you're right. But since you've been all avoiding me and stuff, I thought I'd just have one night to sit and talk. And since I did it with Ayeka, I thought it'd only be fair, you know?" she swallowed the last bite, "I'm not avoiding you, it's just that Ayeka's always-sometimes trying to pick a fight with me. It just so happens you're always in the room when she does it, I have to get out of there before I blow something up,"

"You're doing a pretty good job in my opinion," "Yea. Whatever," she leaned onto her hand and stared at the wall. "I mean it! You're doing a really good job! I swear to god!" "I am, huh?" he nodded. "That's nice to know…" she stared at her empty plate. "Want some more?" he asked, pointing to her plate. "Sure…" 'Well, at least I can _feel _the food. Jelly feels gooey, butter fells sticky, breads just soft, plain and simple.' Tenchi stayed silent while he made seconds, and walked back with three more in his hand. "Three?" Ryoko asked. :One for you, one for me, and maybe half for both if we're still hungry," he handed her one, and she took it, "Thanks," they ate in silence. The pirate made the next few, since they were still hungry. A scream startled them both halfway through the sandwiches. "Sasami?" Ryoko asked, and shoved the rest of the food in her throat.

Tenchi just threw the food out the window, and ran up the stairs into the Jurians princess' room. They opened the door and saw Sasami jerking violently in her sleep, the mark on her head glowing brightly. "No! Don't take her! Leave her alone!" she cried as Ayeka tried to shake her out of it. Tenchi ran over, closely followed by Ryoko. "Sasami, wake up!" he cried out, but she continued to scream, "Go away! Don't take her away from Washu again!" Ryoko's eyes went wide, and shoved Tenchi out of the way, shaking her more roughly, "C'mon! Wake up kiddo! Don't stay in a dream like that!" to all of their surprises, the nine year olds eyes snapped open. 

Tears erupted from her cherry pink eyes, and she hugged Ryoko, crying loudly into her. The pirate looked at Ayeka sympathetically. The princess didn't seem to mind, but a relieved look planted itself on her face. Tenchi watched in amazement as Ryoko cooed quietly to her. "C'mon, no ones gonna take me. I'm right here, just let it all out," if he didn't know better, he'd have thought Ryoko was her mother. He motioned for Ayeka to leave, and soon after, left himself. Sasami's crying doubled over, soaking the summoners' shirt. She hugged tighter, and Ryoko continued to coo. 

The little girl soon cried herself to sleep, still hugging the almost mother-like pirate tightly. Ryoko really didn't want to wake her, so she crawled over to a wall, and went to sleep. Ayeka stepped in and a flash of jealousy flashed across her face at the sight of Sasami clinging for dear life onto Ryoko, who had woken up when the door opened. "Oh, hey Ayeka." She mumbled, refraining from yawning, "Sorry, she's got a death grip on me right now, I can't get her off," the princess nodded, "It's all right. Want a blanket?" Ryoko nodded, and Ayeka tossed her Sasami's blanket. "Thanks…" she used her hands and put it over both of them, falling asleep again once she closed her eyes.

Ayeka sat and stared at the two of them for a while, remembering that it used to be she, whom Sasami cried into. She snapped her head around and forced herself not to look, then fell to sleep, trying to think of other things.

The young, Jurian princess awoke with a start, her eyes stinging because of last night. Her gaze fell upon Ryoko, whom she was clutching tighter than she thought she could. The pirate was snoring softly, her face pointed toward the ceiling. She noticed the dampness in the clothing as she twitched slightly, her back cracking loudly. She pushed herself up lightly, her stiff body not cooperating like she wanted it too. Sasami got up and stretched her short self, noticing the strain it put on her back when she did so. "Good morning, Sasami. Have a nice sleep?" Ayeka's drowsy voice filled the ears of the little girl. She turned around and nodded, "I'm sorry…" "Sorry?" "For acting like I did last night," Ayeka sat up in her futon, "Don't be sorry, you had a bad dream, that's all. If it's for clinging to Ryoko all night, I don't mind."

"Liar."

"How so?"

"You do care. You wanted to be the person that made me laugh yesterday. You wanted to be the person I cried into. Don't lie, Ayeka, your eyes deceive what you're saying."

"Fine. I did want to be. But I wasn't, so there."

"It's all right to be jealous…"

"I'm not jealous!"

"Liar, liar, pants on fire."

"Shut-up," she mumbled, and threw her pillow at her. The little girl laughed, and threw it back to her before walking out of the room, "I'm gonna go start breakfast, see ya later!" Ayeka stood up and made her bed, putting the blanket back on Ryoko and walking out of the room to take a bath. Washu walked up the stairs past Ayeka, and opened the door quietly. She glanced over and saw Ryoko snoring lightly and a damp spot on her shirt from where Sasami had cried into most of the night. Even if she couldn't admit it, she was incredibly proud of her for acting so much like a mother when she hardly had one for most of her life.

She watched intently as Ryoko turned in her sleep, falling off the walls balance and curling into a ball on the floor. The scientist got back up and walked out, closing the door quietly. Tenchi and the other's had slight bags under their eyes for staying up late. "Morning, Washu," Tenchi mumbled dryly, sipping some tea to wake him up some. A quiet chopping sound reverberated from the kitchen room, Washu guessed it was Sasami cutting up some quick food for everybody. 

Ryo-ohki was staring into space, sitting on the couch and not really paying any heed to the people there. Mihoshi was giggling quietly at the manga book she was reading, flipping through the pages quickly. The redhead went over and sat back on the couch, flipping on the news. _"Not much to date today ladies and gents of all species. The Galaxy Police are currently surrounding the ship, now recently discovered as the "Tiapora" one of the main assault ships of the Ruins Buster, otherwise known as Kagato. In other news..." _Washu turned the tv off, and put a hand to her chin. 'That ship... I know that ship!' the scientist thought, and went outside; glancing at the cloudy sky.

***

Ryoko looked around herself, floating nowhere in the darkness that engulfed her entirely. "W-...Where am I...?" she muttered, her voice barely audible, even to herself. It took her a second to realize her eyes were clamped shut. The minute her amber eyes opened, the pirate regretted it, horribly. "Noooo... It's not possible... Not again! Shit! Not again!!!" her voice was just a whisper, and her belly felt like a pit. Fires of blood red surrounded the area, buzzing sirens were screaming their screams loud enough to blow a persons eardrums. Every thing imaginable to the universe that told that something was in danger was on. Ryoko clutched her head in horror as a maniac laughter filled the air. 

The ex-pirate could not shut her eyes to the truth, her assault on Jurai had been a major part in her life; and she wasn't the least bit proud of it. She gritted her teeth and faced the horrible truth, letting her trembling arms, fall to her side. Ryoko's whole body shook with fear and agony; not wanting to be apart of this once again. The other Ryoko, sitting demonically on top of a rock; her eyes glowing a red feircer than it'd been when she remembered. She was laughing.

People all around her were running and screaming for help; all of the evacuation ships had been melted to a crisp by the hands of herself. More and more people were blasted to bits before the summoner's eyes. Woman and children alike, none given mercy. Galaxy Police ships had foolishly thought they could stop her, slipping into the Jurian orbit and getting blasted by Ryo-ohki. She saw a young man run wildly across a burning plain, crying in front of the space pirate and cursing loudly. Ryoko immediatly recognized this to be Yosho, only... he looked more innocent and tender. His crying eyes reminded her of Tenchi's, their warm glow never disappearing. Her throat knotted up as the scene changed to their fight on earth.

Ryo-ohki had forced her mistress out of the ship as it exploded into the middle of the forest, causing a fire to erupt immediatly. Funaho fell into an area close by and had caved in on itself. Her other self was floating in the air; the eyes flashing from red to white. The ex-pirate remembered this all too well, Kagato was losing the battle for control over her; and it had made her fighting clumsy because she was fighting mentally and phisically. That was one of the times Washu herself had been talking to her; helping her fight back the ruins buster. It was encouraging to know that her mother was with her the whole time she was on the Soja, telling her to never give up hope.

The scene went blank, and the summoner collapsed onto the invisible ground, crying her tears furiously, pounding the ground with her fists, cursing and saw blood covering her hand. 

"DAMN YOU KAGATO!!!"

***

Ryo-ohki cried for her sister, cried for her agony, cried for her life. The humanoid rushed to the stairs and saw Washu already trying to shake her awake. The scientist would not allow her daughter to live in the past like that. "Damn you... Kagato..." the summoner mumbled; but Ryo knew better. The pirate wanted to scream to the heavens, scream to the universe and let it hear her pain. "Shit! Ryoko! Damn it! Wake up! Don't let yourself to that crap!" Washu cried loudly, seeing blood appear on her daughters hand, and shook harder, "WAKE UP!!!" Tenchi slammed into the room, his eyes widening when he saw Ryoko, "Oh my god... Is she okay?" the scientist glared at him, "Do you _think _she's okay? Do you _think _reliving the shit Kagato put her through on Jurai is _okay?!_ The hell not! Damn baka!!!" she bellowed, returning her attention to her daughter.

Ryo-ohki shoved Tenchi out of the room, mouthing as best as she could to keep the others out. He nodded sadly, and kept the other curious people out. Ryo stepped back into the room and ran over to her mistress, helping her mother shake her. "Ryoko! Please! Wake up dammit!" she cried, pounding a fist on the floor; two unshed tears fell to the floor. The humanoid cabbit slid away, knowing that her creator needed the space. The pirate made a grunt, and three streaks of tears fell from her clamped eyes. The mother wrapped her arms around her daughters body; and pulled her into a tight hug, her true form now revealing itself. 

"Please... Don't do this, wake up..." Washu moaned quietly, still shaking her crying daughter. Ryo watched closely as her creator hugged her daughter close, their hair pushing against each other so you counldn't tell where the ends ended. Blood dripped from the pirates left hand and onto the floor, seeping from the gem. It almost seemed that the gem itself was crying. Ryoko's eyelids softened, the clamped look disappearing from her face. The pirates shaking had stopped under her mother's firm grasp. The occasional gasps of air returned to their steady breathing, and her eyes opened slowly.

At first her face was unreadable to the cabbit; then it transformed to pure shock, and then the tears came. No pride stopped the pirate from putting her arms around her mother and crying. Crying into her mother's shoulder like a lost child who'd found it's parent. Ryo left silently, not wanting to disturb the two, and walked out the door to see Tenchi and the others with their ears near the door. Sasami was the only one not present, and the humanoid slapped them all, dragging them away from the room. She threw them onto the couch and miyaed furiously at them, whom were all surprised she had slapped them hard. Ayeka was fingering the now bruising skin, and Tenchi was looking down in ashame. Mihoshi was crying quietly, curling up into a ball in the corner of the couch.

Sasami came in and scoffed at the three sneaks, "You people! My god! Can't Ryoko and Washu have a little privacy?!" she practically screamed, clenching her fists in frustration. The elder princess took all the scolding in, knowing they full well deserved it. Tenchi mentally slapped himself stubbornly, repeating a line over and over again to himself. The officer was crying still, but not in a ditzy way.

Washu held her daughter close, letting the ex-pirate shed all her tears onto her shoulder. "I-it was... horrible... The at-ttack on Jurai a-all over again..." she cried, burying her face into Washu's shoulder, letting her emotions do their bidding. The scientist began some slight cooing, hoping it would settle her down, "It was just a dream, Ryoko. Don't let it drown you, please... Kagato's dead, he won't come back. I won't let him..." It continued like that for a few minutes, listening to Sasami's shrieks to the people downstairs. Washu rubbed her daughters back lightly, running her hand up and down her spine, calming her down slightly. The pirates sobs soon turned into hiccups, and then into steady breathing as she cried herself back to sleep.

The scientist waited for a half an hour, making sure that she was fully asleep before picking her up gently. Her fingers touched the pirates head and then lifted her body up, cradling her like a baby. Washu walked through the open door and wandered down the stairs, attracting stares from the couch. "Washu, is she all right now?" Tenchi asked, desperatly trying to hide the purple skin that threatened to show on his cheek. The redhead nodded, "She's fine, open the door for me please," he got up and opened her lab door. Ayeka didn't look up, for she was feeling incredibly stupid for eavesdropping like that.

Washu entered the lab and was instantly transported to her room; which was pretty simplistic. An American matress shoved in the corner, a few blankets on top of it, and a few play spots where Ryoko and Ryo would play when they were younger, she took one hand and pulled back the blankets; then put her daughter down, and stood back up, "No dreams are gonna attack you here, Little Ryoko. Me and my magic finger," Washu went to the wall and sat down, not really caring that it was only the afternoon, and watched her daughter sleep peacefully, in a world where time didn't matter.

"Have a nice sleep, Ryoko," Washu stated, and leaned her head back to the wall, catching up on her missed sleep.

Sasami gave up scolding the three and went outside and into the rain, letting the water pelt her body. She ran for the treehouse, closely followed by Ryo-ohki. The little girl and her playmate raced across the fields, ignoring the water that was wetting them by the minute. Mud spattered behind their feet as the ground became more and more damp, making them slow down a little. They continued to run, leaving the people behind and greeting the trees. The cherry blossom flowers fell as the rain slapped the petals, causing the plant life to stick to their wet skin. The treehouse appeared in a matter of minutes, making them oblivious to all the other things.

The two climbed the ladder and walked inside, just now noticing how filthy they looked, "Gosh, Ryo-ohki, we sure are dirty," Sasami smiled, squeezing out some water out of her clothing, and brushing some petals off her face. Ryo miyaed, and brushed off her clothing as well. "Oh well, good thing I brought some extra clothes here, you know?" the little girl grinned and skipped to her room. The cabbit rolled her eyes, and shook the old fashioned way. The fur on her body shook as the water on her flew off, hitting various walls and furniture.

"Pssh... Be that way." Sasami's voice said, walking into the room just before the cabbit was done. The young two went to the small living room and played Chess to pass the time.

The half breed and the princess were still sitting on the couch, the officer had gone elsewhere. They both felt ashamed at what they had done, and continued to stare at the floor. Tenchi was still repeating a quote Yosho had taught him, and Ayeka was just thinking about how her sister had scolded them.

The tv flashing on in front of them startled them out of their skin, "What the hell...?" the succesor mumbled, staring at the now serious looking Mihoshi, "Mihoshi... I thought you went to your room for awhile," "There's a ship floating around the Earth, the Tiapora; I found it in a class A list. The man inside calls himself, 'Mitis.' Whatever that means..." the two arched their brows at her, and returned to their self torturing. The blond haired officer kept her eyes glued to the screen; scribbling down the name and where it was orbiting. She got up and walked into Washu's lab, not giving a crap about the two people staring at her like she was crazy.

"Washu! Miss Washu?! Little Washu?" Mihoshi cried out, trying her best not to get distracted by thr buttons and such. "Washu-chan is currently sleeping in her dormitory, if you would like to leave her a note, message, or a picture. Place it on the pad on your right. And if you happen to be Mihoshi, please don't press any red buttons!" a computer like voice reverberated in the humungous lab.

The officer looked to her right and saw a pad with three sections, one for notes, one for recording messages, and one for pictures. Mihoshi pinned her note down and walked out; nearly tripping over her feet when she noticed a huge red button. "Oh god... I have to get this brain of mine fixed..." she said stupidly, bonking her head until it numbed.

Washu woke up in her sleep when she heard her computer talking, and shoved herself up in case it was Mihoshi. "Damn, my back's stiff as ice.... Geez," the scientist mumbled groggily as she walked into the lab. She got there in time to see Mihoshi bonking her head dumbly, then walking out of the lab before walking closer to the red button. Washu sighed in relief when she noticed nothing had blown up, then jumped when the message pad bumped her side. She noticed a piece of paper tacked to the board. The redhead ripped it from the board and read it slowly; almost passing out from the neatness and formatting.

_Washu:_

Could you do me a real quick favor and zoom in on the ship orbitting around the Earth? It'd be a great help. The government officials of Jurai asked me personally! Since my ships' in subspace; they say it would be near impossible for the person (calls himself: 'Mitis') to know that I'm an officer unless he read the uncensored report of mine (though it IS kinda long... heh heh, oopsies)

One of my old partners, name's Kiyone Makabi, she's gonna come here too to help in my search. She's a nice lady, loses her temper at me quite a bit more than you do, has extremely bad luck. Her appearance is pretty good, actually, very good considering the people Tenchi has here. She has a blue greenish hair; cerulean eyes, tall, and seriously dedicated to her work, can't stand the thought of failure.

I'm really going to work on my ditzy personality so it doesn't become more of a hell house for Tenchi (the poor guy) and so I can maybe reform my destroyed relationship with her. She was one of the best friends I had at the training sessions; probably my one and only. She's like a sister mostly, but I guess the work for patrol and stuff really got to her head, because one day she was all yelling at me for things she never yelled at before: Tripping, pressing wrong button, sleeping on the job, not getting enough gas, the likes!(the list goes on and on and on...)

Anyways, back to the subject. I need some info on the Tiapora so I can study it, you know, try to see if it has anything to do with Ryoko. I'm really sorry for bringing that up, but she was ONCE (notice: I said ONCE) a space pirate, and was real close on being turned in for the eternally wanted list, if it had no been for some peeps who found out Kagato was controlling her. I did stand up for her in those days, because she came once to my home planet (I've forgotten the name: silly me) and I saw her eyes were not like they had been posted on tv. No, this time they were a pretty amber, looking like they were screaming to the universe for help.

Of course, my mother was so shocked that she appeared on our doorstep, she instantly threw me into my room, blocking the door with herself, and cursing louder than I'd ever heard, (and let me tell you, it'd probably make Ryoko blush) my brains a bit foggy, so I can't remember much, but the next thing I know, she's crying. Ryoko was crying her guts out in front of a woman of no meaning. My mother was out of the way by then, and I shoved myself out of the room and went by her side, trying to make he tears go away.

I was lucky my dad was gone, or I'd have gotten the beating of my life for touching Ryoko. My mom didn't say a thing, but the last thing I heard or saw before passing out was seeing the amber turn to a blood red and my mother's shriek as I hit the wall hard. I was in the hospital next, and my actions were more clumsy than you can imagine. I was suddenly terrified of bright red things (like your buttons) and my first reaction is to punch it until it goes away, or run like hell.

Okay, what I'm trying to say is. The ship that Ryoko WAS using the Tiapora, and that she ACCIDENTALLY made me stupid. She WAS the past holder of the ship, until some man named 'Mitis' somehow is tied in with Kagato, and managed to get hold of the Tiapora when Ryoko attacked Jurai.

I'm sorry if I wasted your time by asking you to read this. But I'm trying real hard to make myself the way I was the first seventeen years of my life, not the ditzy ole' me that tends to hate bright red things. So if you have read this, and don't give a shit about a thing I say; go ahead and use it for some experiment... Or something.

Detective First Class Signing Out:

Mihoshi Kuramitsu

P.S. Could you do another tiny favor and make an extra room for Kiyone? I doubt she'll want to sleep within a one mile's radius from me... Hehehe, Sowwie!

The scientist smiled as new interperitions of the clumsy officer came into her grasp. She walked to the room again and sat down where she was sitting before, and read the note over and over again to make sure there wasn't a mistake in her reading. "So... Mihoshi's trying to be serious, eh? Guess this Kiyone girl must mean a lot to her..." the scientist pulled a laptop out of nowhere and typed a few codes. "There... Info on the Tiapora now sent to Mihoshi's ship, Yukinojo. Now to ask if another room is fine with Tenchi,"

She scribbled down a note in case her daughter woke up, and walked out of the lab to the half breed. The scientist spotted him on the couch where he'd been with Ayeka sleeping lightly on the other side. "Tenchi...?" he turned around and faced her, not hiding the bruise on his face like he did last time, "What is it, Washu?" "Is it okay if I make another room in the house?" "What for?"

"Mihoshi's old partner is coming to help her on a mission."

"Why won't she share a room?"

"She doesn't want her partner to feel like crud because she has to share a room with her."

"What's her name?"

"Kiyone Makabi. She also doesn't want it to be a worse hell house for you than it is."

"Okay, go right ahead."

She did a slight bow and walked back to her lab, noticing Mihoshi mouthing a thank you from the other room. Washu smiled and walked into the door. The redhead went straight to the room with Ryoko sleeping soundly in it, then pulled her holo back up, "All right... Just reajust the house's cordinates a bit... and, there! All done!" the scientist smiled, and put the computer back. Washu picked up an old book on a shelf nearby and read it silently aloud, hoping that Ryoko might remember it if she woke up.

Mihoshi walked around the house, trying to perfect her walking skills. "Okay, just a few more laps and I'll go work on my room." the officer smiled cheerfully and walked around the house three more times. She went to her room and grimanced when she saw all the garbage thrown around.

"Oy, this will not do, not at all," Mihoshi went back out of the room and came back with a garbage can. Tenchi walked down the hallway when she happened to trip over the books she stacked up, "Mihoshi! Want some help?" the officer rubbed her head and nodded sadly, "Yes, thank you. That'd be nice," she got back up and stacked the books in the corner this time, two neat stacks formed in the next three hours the two people cleaned the disaster zone. Tenchi wiped his brow, and smiled at their work, "Wow Mihoshi. This place can look really nice if we keep it clean," the blond haired officer nodded, "Yea... Thank you for helping, Tenchi. It means a ton to me," she made a quick bow and walked off.

Washu flipped through the pages quickly, muttering under her breath what it said. Ryoko mumbled a little and tossed around in her sleep; a smile glued onto her peaceful face. The scientist had finished about three books already of numerous pages, that of which would probably take a person a few months to finish. She closed yet another book and decided to write in her journal.

_Dear Journal,_

Wow... That's pretty much all I can say right now. Mihoshi actualy told me how she got all stupid and now she's really trying to fix it. All because her partner, name's Kiyone Makabi, is really sensitive around her and stuff. Ryoko actually hugged me this morning. She was crying because a dream about her attack on Jurai came to haunt her; Ryo's been a ton of help, hell. She slapped Tenchi, Ayeka and Mihoshi because they were eavesdropping on us. Lol. Sasami went to the treehouse, probably trying to calm her anger towards the three, or try and figure out what this new prophetic dream of hers says. Ryoko's sleeping on my bed (Oh the joy) cause I had to make it so she had a dreamless sleep; didn't want her having those freakishly real nightmares again. Ayeka's been silent, but she was back to her little girl self yesterday when she joined in the mud fight (God that was fun). Anyhoo, that's it for now, Ryoko's waking up.

Washu put the pencil in the pocket and closed the booklet, putting it back into her subspace locker. Ryoko sat up groggily, rubbing her tired eyes with her hand, "Where am I...?" "You're in my room." the pirate forced herself awake, "Oh. Why here?"

"Tenchi and the others were being snoops." she laughed quietly and stretched, her mouth widening into a yawn. "Sleepyhead," Washu teased, pokng her daughters belly. "Hey!" the scientist pulled her hand back before Ryoko tried to snatch it. "Teaser..." the cyan haired woman mumbled, rubbing her empty stomach, "...I'm hungry..." the scientist shrugged and snapped, food appeared before the pirates eyes. "Huh?" "Well, what do you think I eat when I lock myself in here, hmmm?" "Oh, thanks," Ryoko ate the food quietly, not complaing when she couldn't taste it. 

She finished after a few minuted, not eating a mile a minute like she usually did. "You're eating slower, why's that?" the pirate wiped some rice from her lip, then shrugged, "I dunno. Maybe it's cause I know you won't steal my food," "That's nice to know," Washu smiled, and put the dishes back into subspace. Ryoko stood up and rubbed the rest of the sleep out of her eyes, then leaned onto the wall. "Here." the scientist said, handing her a bottle of water. She eyed her mother curiously, "What for?" Washu shrugged nonchalantly, "Wake yourself up. I'm gonna go outside, my butt's getting cramps from sitting next to you for five hours straight, you coming?" the summoner nodded, "Yea, be there in a sec..."

They both exited the lab at the same time, attracting some stares from Tenchi and Mihoshi. Ayeka was still sleeping silently. "Ryoko, you all right?" Tenchi asked, standing up suddenly. "Yeah, I'm all right. Really! Where's Sasami?" **At the treehouse...** Washu said mentally, walking outside. Tenchi shrugged, "Somewhere, I think in the sakura's." Ryoko nodded and phased away. 

Washu walked to a tree near the lake, and sat down; her legs sprawled, "What to do... What to do..." she mumbled quietly as she pulled her journal out of subspace, and wrote down a poem to pass the time. (I'm real sorry, but I suck at poems big time unless I think about them two or three days, sowwie!) Her hand went quicker than her eyes as she wrote as her thoughts lifted themselves from her brain and onto the paper. The scientist barely realised she was writing in Deltan and not Japanese. Words formed quicker than the quickest tongue on earth could have said them, and the pages went from on to two, two to four, and stopped at five.

She ended the piece of work quickly and put it into the small pile she had formed unconciously, "Heh heh, oopsies," Washu mumbled softly and folded them into her pocket, then stared at the cerulean sky.

Ryoko appeared in the tiny living room, startling both the cabbit and Sasami from their reading, "What's up, peoples?" she asked cheerfully, waving childishly in the air. Sasami hopped out of her seat, "Are you all right, Ryoko? You screamed in your sleep this morning." the pirate nodded, "Yea, I know. Here, Washu told me to give it to you," she handed the princess a little earpiece, and she jumped for joy, "YES! She gave me the translator thingie I asked for! WOOO!!!" she danced around the room, leaving Ryoko in the dust. The pirate looked over at Ryo-ohki, who was backing up mockingly in her seat.

Ryoko shrugged playfully and sat down, drinking the rest of the water her mother handed to her. 'Geez, this baby can wake up the dead, my god...' Sasami slipped the translator over her ear and asked Ryoko to tell Ryo to say something. "Miya?" she asked, and Sasami laughed, "Great! The thing works! Now I can talk to Ryo-ohki better! YES!!!" Ryoko smiled at her happiness, and picked up a pencil and paper, and started drawing lines and figures for a small toy.

Sasami chatted with the confused cabbit for a moment, then gave up when she remembered she couldn't hear yet. The pirate put a few words here and there to memorize because she couldn't read...yet. 'Damn this brain of mine, I can't even read because of him,' the younger princess eyed the pirate curiously, then returned to her playing chess.

A loud, screaming sound filled the air as the familiar sound of a spaceship lowered to the ground. Washu was startled from her sleep as the ship landed nearby, followed by Mihoshi running out of the house. The ship, painted red and looking like Mihoshi's patrol ship, the Yukinojo. The scientist stood up and walked toward it, still unnerved by the unpleasent awakening the craft had given her. Mihoshi had a serious look on her face, and her uniform was on neater than usual.

A beam of yellow light appeared before her, and a golden sihoutte of a figure appeared; holding a bag of luggage. After the light disappeared, Washu guessed that this had to be Kiyone, by the color of her hair and eyes, and the look of determination glowing on her face. The visitor saluted, "Hello, detective first class Kiyone," Mihoshi tried to keep herself from crying, since she hadn't seen her friend in a long time.

Washu smiled, "Hello Kiyone, would you like to go to your room?" the officer's eyes widened, "Washu? Washu Hakubi? Here?" the scientist nodded, "Yep! You'll see everyone at dinner tonight, Ryoko and Sasami are somewhere playing. Ayeka's in the house napping, and Mihoshi's standing right there, trying to greet you," Kiyone turned around and found Mihoshi standing with as straight of face as she could manage, "...Mihoshi, it's been a long time," the blond haired officer managed a nod, but choked a sob down. "Will you show me to my room, hmmm?" Mihoshi nodded again and turned around, wiping a tear out of her blue eyes. Washu motioned her on and they walked off, Tenchi appeared at the front of the doorway, greeting them.

Mihoshi led her old partner to the newly assembled room, and didn't talk unless she asked her a question. "So, uh, is it nice here, Mihoshi?" Kiyone asked. The bond haired officer nodded again, her throat knotting up fast. "Why won't you talk?" she wiped another tear that threatened to fall, and opened the door to the newly made room. The teel haired officer eyed her curiously, then set her bag down on the bed; trying to get her partner's eyes to meet hers, "Mihoshi, what's wrong?" 

Mihoshi turned her head to the wall and banged it hard with her head, letting two tears streak down her cheek. Kiyone's hand set on her shoulder, shaking it a little, "C'mon, look at me...please?" the blond officer turned around reluctantly and faced her friend, forcing a smile as three more tears fell down her face, "T-there.... h-h-happy?" she stuttered, choking on her tongue. Kiyone nodded, "That's much better. C'mon now, I won't lose my temper, go ahead and cry; it's been a long time."

Mihoshi leaned into her partner and cried silently, trying real hard not to howl loudly. Kiyone put her hands on her back and let her partner let her feelings out; smiling all the while. After five minutes, the blond haired officer stood back up, leaning against the semi-white wall. And smiled, "Thank-you, I thought you'd be all angry at me and stuff, cause those years ago you'd yell at me for almost everything." Kiyone laughed, "Yeah, that's true. But after I finally got away from you, I got this other partner and he was a perv. Always trying to seduce me. I finally sued him and had to start all over again, and then when I had Mitsuki as a partner. I finally realised it was a mistake in leaving you, you'd always make my day. Good or bad, mostly bad; but that didn't matter,"

Mihoshi snickered, "Let's go! I wanna introduce you to the peeps here!" she cried out, and tugged on Kiyone's arm, pulling them around the house.

Washu ran out of the house when Ryoko, Ryo-ohki, and Sasami were phased into the house's area and pulled them in; dinner already made. The pirate stared at the new girl, and turned to her mother again, "Is that the girl you told me about?" the scientist nodded, "Yup," they sat down around the table; trying not to stare at the newcomer. Mihoshi was chatting with her, telling her everthing that had happed in the past eight months she'd been there. Tenchi was sitting in his usual spot, talking with either Ayeka or Ryoko; blushing when Ryoko mentioned their bruises, "Heh, my sister gave that to you? Good lord," the pirate said, pointing to there purple cheeks.

Sasami ate happily, chewing her food semi-politely, since her manners were rubbing off and Ryoko's seeping in; much to Ayeka's dislike. Nobiyuki ate in silence, obviously in deep thought of a new architecture to be planned. Washu had her ears perked up; since a ship's landing was starting to fill the air, but only in the Hakubi's ears (minus Ryo). Their plates started rumbling, the sound getting increasingly louder. Tenchi slammed down his chopstick's and walked outside, looking toward the sky.

Washu and Ryoko got up too, since the ship's noises was screaming louder and louder by the minute. The two officers got their guns ready, and Sasami cleared the table before the dishes fell off.

The lake was churning violently, and the seven people watched intently, seeing the silhoutte of the ship that was on the screen. "The hell is that...?" Tenchi asked, sheilding his eyes from the laser beam that shot the nearby mountain. "Goddammit, it's the Tiapora, he's giving us a warning not to attack." Ryoko mumbled in responce, glaring at the landing ship. Mihoshi and Kiyone stood back to back, their guns set and ready to attack.

Washu watched as the humungous ship shot another laser into another nearby mountain, Katsuhito running down the shrine's steps. Tenchi ran to his room and back, and Ayeka had her gaurdians ready for a fight. The half-breed ignited the master key, attracting a stare from the newcoming officer. A red beam of light appeared in front of them, showing a silhoutte of a man.

Ryoko and Washu got their orange sword's in a battling position, and Ryo was set on protecting Sasami. "...My, aren't we the ready one's?" the man's low voice pierced the silence around them. The ex-pirate's eyes widenened in recognition of the voice, "You! You! Damn you! You're the one that's been haunting me!" he clapped mockingly, "No shit, you think I'd have any fun if I just came and took you two? Now where's the fun in that?"

"Mitis, who says you're going to take us, I'd say the odds are against you this moment." Washu mumbled, motioning towards the group of warriors ready to fight for their lives if needed. Mitis had a cloak much like Kagato's on, had a metal mask covering his eyes; though they could sense the sinister desire of this man. "Hmph, as if that matters, I could easily turn one of you against the other, very much easily," he sneered; causing Ryoko to shutter. **He's talking about me, Washu...** Ryoko whispered harshly, wavering on her words unconciosly. **Yea... I know, try to fight it; you almost did seven hundred years ago... **Tenchi bent his knees a little more, on the command of his grandfather.

Mitis glared at the eight of them and threw his cloak into thin air, the rain soaking them a little. He held his hand out and grasped a putrid green energy sword, about five times bigger than sword Tenchi, and looked a zillion times stronger. Ryoko's eyes flashed in color, and she clutched her head. **No! Dammit! Get out of my head! Dammit!!!! Can't.........NO! I won't give up! Fight... Keep fighting........ I can't see, my vision.................... Tenchi............ Mom, help............. Please... **Washu listened to her pleading, at the same time, blocking a blow with Mitis's sword. Ryoko continued to fight; her eyes kept flashing gold to green, her orange sword clashing with the barrier of Ayeka when she was under control.

Tenchi ran up and shoved Mitis away from Washu, who was getting cornered into a wall. The scientist ran to a clearing, closely followed by Mitis. Mihoshi and Kiyone were doing their best trying to fend off Ryoko, who was fighting clumsily because of the control Mitis had over her wasn't as strong as Kagato's.

"Nice! You're just like the old days!" Mitis cried, throwing another blow onto the scientist's body, who easily deflected it. Washu watched as he floated to the middle of the clearing, his hand held up high, charging up an energy volt. "That face...." she muttered, preparing to block the shock.

**Fight! Fight, Ryoko, fight! FIGHT!** the pirate cried out mentally; collapsing on the ground and clutching her head. A few seconds later, the control had taken over again, attacking the three people. Mitis continued to charge up, the energy now an enormously huge ball of lightning. "I know him........" Washu muttered again, backing up a little. Tenchi joined in, trying to get Ryoko off the three, but avoiding the prospect of hurting her. The pirate threw an energy ball at Tenchi, knocking him into the wall of the house. Ryo-ohki and Sasami were both fighting for each other. Sasami, now letting her Jurian powers of Tsuinami come to her aid, blowing away the black guardians that Mitis had summoned up.

The sinister villain pulled his arm down with all his strength, the ball of lightning tossing towards the small scientist. Washu pulled the sword up in front of her and was pushed back fifteen feet by the power. Her weakened body slammed against a tree as the blast engulfed her totally. Ryoko fought off the control another time when she saw her mother slammed against a tree, and phased next to the blast, knocking it away into the mountain two hundred feet away. The pirate caught Washu in her arms, who was seemingly unconcious from the attack.

Mitis glared at the two, "...So I see. So _you_ are the daughter of the witch." Ryoko held her mother tight, letting her energy blade flicker back to life. She set her mother down and bent her legs in a fighting stance. Tenchi and the others ran to the clearing, stopping when they saw that Mitis no longer had control over the pirate. Ryoko charged at him, swinging down her sword with all the strength she could muster. Swords clashing together filled the air as the two warriors fought.

Sparks emitted from the blows, and they phased around, in sword play. Tenchi jumped out of the way when an energy blast flew in their direction, blowing up a nearby tree into flames. Mitis took the chance when they clashed together and punched his other fist in her gut, making her fly through a tree. The man laughed, and walked towards her, pulling his arm back and prepared to throw his putrid sword (ewwww!).

Washu stirred from her unconciosness and widened her eyes to see her daughter on the ground, struggling to get up. Her eyes clamped in pain as a trail of blood ran down her face, a large gash across her chest, "Damn... I have to.... Get up. OW!" she landed back on the ground with a plop and winced as the wet grass hit her cut. 

The pirate couldn't see, the control was seeping back in, and a scurrying of feet across the ground was heard as she felt herself being shoved aside by tiny hands, and a loud scream entered her ears. The rain pounded down harder as she kept her eyes shut, not wanting to see who she had hurt.... or had she?

**Open your eyes, Ryoko...** Washu's faint voice entered her brain.

**I can't!**

Yes you can, and you will.

No!

You didn't hurt anyone, I promise you.

NO!

Please. You'll regret it if you don't...

What happened? Why is someone screaming? I can't hear, I can't recognize, I can't even see!

Open your eyes......

FINE!!!!!

The pirate opened her eyes slowly, and gasped as the a putrid green sword stained with blood was five inches from her face. Luckily, the blood wasn't hers. Unluckily, she looked up, and tears spurted from her face as the body collapsed onto the ground in a heap. 

Overhead, she heard thunder.

Author's Notes: Yikes! I didn't think I'd end this chapter like that! (Gets thwacked in the head by a zilllion rotten tomatoes) Lol. It was kind of long. I'm sorry if it went a little fast, the battle and all. But if I didn't get it in there it would've been a lot longer than this. I'm sorta on a writer's block, I need some idea's peeps!!! AYeka and Mihoshi are a tad (that's an understatement) OOC, sowwie!


	5. Momma's Dream Come True

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! And all its' characters belong to Pioneer LDCA.

_He knew another place, a wood,_

_And in it. Tall as trees, were cliffs;_

_And if he stood on one of these,_

_'Twould be among the tops of trees,_

_Their upper branches round him wreathing,_

_Their breathing mingled with his breathing._

_(Part 5 of, 'The Lone Striker' by Robert Frost)_

Author's Notes: Mwahaha, the last chapter left you hanging, I'm so evil (cackles while you peeps are dangling over a huge valley with text floating above you) HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe I'll just leave you there, it's better that way. Lol. I wouldn't do that to you peeps! But-- I WON'T CONTINUE IF YOU DON'T REVIEW!!! So, if you want more, you gotta beg. I've got the whole story planned out and if I get zilch reviews what's the point of tying in vain? Hmmmm? Anyhoo, last chapter was a bit long (gets thwacked in the head with a zillion more rotten tomatoes) ick! Second time that's happened. Go throw those things in the garbage! NOT AT ME!!! All right? All right, let's go.

**All Alone (part 5)**

        Ryoko couldn't believe it. She _wouldn't _believe it. Wouldn't couldn't shouldn't. The small body made a quiet groan of pain as it hit the ground, the pirate's vision becoming fuzzy again. 'NO! FIGHT!!! I WON'T LET HIM WIN THIS TIME!!!' the summoner cried at the top of her lungs (mentally of course) and crawled over weakly to Sasami. "No... Sasami, wake up! Don't die on me kid! You've still got to become a queen and stuff! You've still gotta scold the snoopers when they snoop! Don't die Sasami! Not for me! Don't die!" the little girl opened her pink eyes slowly and stared painfully at her friend, "R-Ryoko... Y-You all right...?" blood trailed out the corner of her mouth, and Ryoko washed it away. "Why? Why'd you save me? Of all people? You might die because of me!" Sasami shook her head slowly, "No... y-you forget that Tsunami is still with me. I-if it wasn't for her, I-I'd probably be dead by now, Ryoko. I won't die, j-just set me down. It stings really b-bad," the pirate obediently teleported to Ayeka, who was shocked by her sisters and Ryoko's actions. "Here... Take her into Washu's lab. Press the kani number two to get to the hospital like section (kani means crab in japenese)," Ryoko gently slid her into the elder princess's hands, who got covered in dripping blood as soon as the little girl was hunched onto her.

            "G-go... Go now before I lose control." Ayeka nodded a thank you and ran into the house, running for the closet door. "I will stay," Tenchi muttered, stepping up to her. "No, get out of here now Tenchi! I don't want anyone else hurt! GET OUT OF HERE!!!" Ryoko cried out and clutched her head again, her eyes flashing a sick green. The half-breed readied his Tenchi-ken and blocked the first blow delivered by Ryoko, and screamed toward the two officers, "Go help Washu-chan! Do it now!" they both nodded, and ran for the clearing. Tenchi returned his gaze towards the expressionless face of his friend, and partner in battle. "Ryoko! Fight back! Don't let him do to you what Kagato did! Fight! Fight! Do it for Washu! Do it for me! Do it even for Minagi and Ryo-ohki! They need you god dammit! Fight!!!" her force was softened a little, just enough for the young man to knock her away and ready himself for the next attack.

            Washu stumbled up, the blood seeping from her gash on her forehead. She wiped it away with a swipe of her hand and leaned into the tree; trying to keep whatever strength she had left alive. The scientist saw Mitis watching the battle between her daughter and Tenchi with amusement, and the two officers running toward her; not attracting any attention from the man whatsoever. Kiyone was the first to reach her, and knelt down to her size, "Washu? Are you all right? Have you lost too much blood yet?" the redhead rolled her eyes, and morphed into her adult form, causing the blue haired officer to jump back in surprise. Mihoshi ran up and pulled some wrappings from her pocket (god knows where she hides those things) and handed them to Washu, "Here...... Dab this on your gash, it's not the best medicine, stings like hell, but it'll remove any chance of infection!" the ditz was trying to break through the barriers she'd put up again.

            "Thanks, but... That's not the problem. Help me over to Ryoko, will ya?! She's trying to gain control again and she's failing, I need to help her!" they both nodded and let the scientist's arms drape around their necks, to worn out to fly herself. They reached them in a matter of seconds, the blows showering sparks onto the ground. Washu took her arms back and limped toward the two, "Tenchi! Can you manage to hold her in that position?" he struggled a nod as he felt himself being slammed against a tree. The redhead snuck up behind her daughter and floated up a tiny bit, just enough to wrap her in the strangle hold for a bit. Washu grasped the pirate gently, yet strong enough to hold her in place.

            She leaned forward a little bit and pulled Ryoko off of Tenchi, whose arms fell to the sides like jelly as she started to hiss in her ear, "Ryoko! Fight it! I know you can hear me, but don't doubt that you can't do it! That's his stronghold over you, let it go! Let your pride go for a bit! Act like you did when you attacked Kagato! Let your emotions do their bidding! Like you did this afternoon! Let yourself go like you did those times! Fight it with that power! Fight it, Ryoko!" her arms struggled against her mother's grip, the controlled shell fighting with someone else's property. 

            Inside her body, the pirate listened and watched everything that was happening, attacking Tenchi, her mother.... Washu. '_Fight it! Fight it with that power! Fight it, Ryoko!'_ the redhead's voice erupted into her ears, startling the summoner from the torture she was going through, **I can't, Washu... I can't... **she curled up into a ball in her mind and cried. **I say you can! Fight it! Do it like you did with Kagato! Fight, little Ryoko! Fight it, I'm doing my best to help! But the big part's with you! **the cyan haired woman curled up tighter than her arms could grip, and she cried harder. **Yes! Like that! Keep letting your emotions pour out, little Ryoko! You've almost got it! **Ryoko ignored the fact she was using her nickname, and let her emotions come out. Love, hate, angst, depression, pain, any other emotion she could've felt came out right then and there. And she regained her body, Washu holding on looser than before, letting Ryoko dangle in the air with her.

            "Damn you, Washu! You always ruin everything, _everything _I say!" Mitis snapped his fingers, and was gone, Ryoko passing out into her mother's caring arms.

_Angst, the best thing I've ever felt_

_Recoil, look at them cower before me like idiots_

_They don't understand, none of them do_

_None whatsoever..._

_'Is that really true?' asked myself one night_

_Of course it is! What else would it be?_

_'False' I hear myself argue quickly_

_Hah! What would you know? No one understands me..._

_'I know.'_

_Yea right!_

_'I know because I am you'_

_Then why am I arguing with you?! I screamed_

_'Because you doubt your heart's will...'_

_Angst..._

_Recoil.._

_'Don't ignore me!' I hear my heart shout_

_Angst..._

_Recoil..._

_'Listen goddammit!'_

_Angst...._

_Re--Reo.._

_'Good! You're listening! Dig deeper!'_

_An---_

_Reoko..._

_'You've almost reached it!'_

_Ryouko._

_'Yes! Now bring it to the surface! Before you lose yourself!'_

_Ryouko... Sounds familiar, nice name._

_'Keep at it! Keep trying!'_

_Ryouko...Ryouko...Ryouko..._

_'Yes-YES! A little more! Just a little more!'_

_Ryouko...Ha-_

_'A bit more!' my heart was thumping in my chest_

_Ryouko... Ha-Haku-Hakubi? Ryouko Hakubi?_

_'YES!'_

_Ryouko Hakubi... That's a beautiful name. 'Demon Summoner...' whoever's mother of that person must be smart._

_'C'mon! You must remember!'_

_Remember? Remember what?_

_'Remember who you are! Your mother1 Even your tiny father! Your two sisters! Your other half!'_

_Wow... That's a lot to remember._

_'No shit. Now keep trying! Push these other feelings away and remember who you are before you lose yourself again!'_

_All right... Ryouko Hakubi. How do I know this, Ryouko?_

_'Look into your heart.'_

_Why should I? You're my heart!_

_'True, but I am just a voice, I've no knowledge whether or not I know these people.'_

_But... You kept telling me to remember.._

_'Yes, but you are the soul. I am merely the shell you built up around myself.'_

_I am the soul..._

_'Yes! Now try to remember!'_

_The soul... Ryouko........... Somehow, no, it is my name, Ryouko Hakubi._

_'Yes...'_

_My mother.... Wa--Wash------Washuu?_

_'Very good. You're progressing better than we usually do, Ryoko. Now what're your sister's names?'_

_Mi-Mina-Minagi! Yeah! That's it!_

_'Now the other.'_

_Ryo-ohki. I'd never forget her in a zillion years... Never._

_'Never, huh? Then why were you so contempt in the words "Angst and Recoil?" eh?'_

_I don't know. I forgot I guess._

_'Whatever... What's your other half's name?'_

_I think... Is it Zero?_

_'I can't answer that, you must do it yourself'_

_Then it's Zero unless someone says otherwise._

_'Now, remember your friends!'_

_Friends? I don't have any friends, they're all dead._

_'Lies. Do you yourself think that is true?'_

_......... I don't know anymore._

_'Well think then!'_

_My mother..._

_'DON'T TRAIL BACK!!! KEEP DIGGING!!!'_

_Jesus christ, do you need to shout?_

_'Um.....no'_

_Then why the hell did you yell?_

_'Hey... You rhymed.'_

_Shut-up._

_'Remember!'_

_Goddammit.. Wait...._

_'Wait?'_

_Masaki..._

_'Yeah, what about it?'_

_Tenchi Masaki! I remember! Mihoshi, Kiyone, Ayeka, and..._

_'And...?'_

_Sasami. Oh my god! I have to get to her! Let me out of here!!!_

_'I'm sorry, but I can't do that for you. You've got to do this yourself.'_

_HOW?! _

_'I don't know.'_

_You're a great help._

_'I know.'_

_That's an insult you know._

_'I know.'_

_Idiot._

_'I know.'_

_Oh! Shut-up with the 'I knows' all ready!_

_'Okay.'_

_???_

_'Well...'_

_Well what? You're not helping my mood._

_'There's a way out of here.'_

_There is? Tell me!_

_'You must remember.'_

_I DID ALREADY!!!_

_'Did not.'_

_DID SO!!!_

_'Not.'_

_SO INFINITE!!_

_'Not infinite one'_

_My GOD! How can people stand you?_

_'How can you stand yourself? I AM you.'_

_Yikes... That's scary man._

_'I'm not a man.'_

_Duh, you think I didn't notice?_

_'Oh well... You still haven't remembered.'_

_Remembered what?_

_'Your past with Washu.'_

_My mother?_

_'Yup. Mine too, don't be a hog.'_

_Least you admit it._

_'Oh yeah? You did too!'_

_Ummmmmm.... Now how do we get out of here?_

_'You have to remember.'_

_How can I? Kagato completely blocked them._

_'Some. There's still some left that you locked up inside yourself. You yourself can't remember where they are, you hid them so well.'_

_With Washu's help?_

_'YES!!!'_

_Okay... I'll try._

_'...'_

_..._

_'...'_

_..._

_'Figured it out, yet?'_

_Um... I think I see a bright red thing..._

_'Ryoko, that's your sword.'_

_Oh... I knew that!_

_'...'_

_..._

_'Anything?'_

_Uhhhhhh... I think I see Washu screaming far away. I'm in the air, someone's got his arms around me._

_'That'd be your capture from Kagato'_

_Geez... that sucks._

_'Anything else from there?'_

_Kagato's just frozen her in that weird crystal thingie._

_'I'm sorry..'_

_You're saying sorry to yourself._

_'Oh yeah!'_

_Well... The scenes changed............ That's all I can remember._

_'Well then. See the truth yet?'_

_What truth?_

_'THE truth.'_

_WHAT truth?_

_'T-H-E truth! Do I need to spell it?'_

_WHAT TRUTH GODDAMMIT?!?!?!_

_'The goddammit truth? That's a new one.'_

_GOD! Am I really that stubborn?_

_'You got it.'_

_I pity myself..._

_'Hahahaha... Very funny. Now do you see it?'_

_NO! I DON'T!_

            Washu wiped her brow tiredly as another drop of blood fell down from her bandage on her forehead. It'd been three weeks since the attack, and Sasami was still out of commission, the sword having put her in the same state as Ryoko. Remembering her forgotten past. Forgetting it again. Remembering it again. Just one big circle. Of course, they'd be out of it if they admitted to something they've always kept secret. The scientist scribbled down all the words the both of them said. The computer did Sasami, while she concentrated on her daughter. The voice was always the same, trying desperately to make them gain their memory, but somehow losing the battle because the entity becomes consumed by depression.

            Today had to be different, because the pirate was remembering her capture from Kagato, and trying to keep the memory of her friends alive. Washu herself had to snicker when her daughter's heart was trying really hard to keep her soul at peace. 'The goddammit truth? That's a new one.' kept ringing in her mind quietly as she listened to the rest.

_'Yikes.'_

_Yikes what?_

_'Yikes because your mom's been listening on in this.'_

_Awww man!_

_'Whatever.'_

_Whatever? WHATEVER? This is bad!_

_'How so? She said she wouldn't make fun of us.'_

_Oh yeah... I forgot._

_'Liar.'_

_Shut-up._

_'I'm tired of listening to you, how about YOU shut-up for once?'_

_Why should I?_

_'Why should I?'_

_Because..._

_'Because..'_

_Stop copying me!_

_'Stop copying me!'_

_STOP IT!!!_

_'STOP IT!!!'_

_Ergh. I'M AN IDIOT!!!_

_'Of course you are.'_

_ARGH!!!_

The redhead laughed heartily in the silence of her lab, not to mention happy that her daughter wasn't going to lose her memory this time around. The only other person in there was Ryo, who was watching the both of them curiously, having regained her ability to hear, laughed along with her creator.

            "Oh my... I haven't had a laugh like that in FOREVER!! Eh, Ryo?" the humanoid nodded, smiling all the while. A sound of someone entering interrupted the laughter. Ayeka appeared under the light, and had her arms crossed as if she were cold, "Little Washu? Are any of them better yet?" the scientist shook her head, "No, Ryoko's showing some sign of progression, and should be up soon. Sasami I'm not so sure about, I'm sorry. Would you like to help with something?" the elder princess nodded and walked over, still trying to hide the concerned look on her face. "Ayeka. Wipe that phoney face off right now. You're NOT in the military, you can show emotion every once in a while, all right?"

            Ayeka nodded again, a little emotion pouring out, but not much. Washu sighed in defeat, "Whatever... Come here." the princess walked over and waited for the direction. "Watch this paper for any words that might seem, out of character for both of them, all right? Both of them are talking to their hearts, they're trapped in their mind, so they can forget easily if something bothers them. So absolutely, NO touching. That alright with you?" she nodded again. The scientist stretched, "I'm gonna get something to eat. And I need a nap. You can go ahead and converse with them, they'll hear you." and a second later, she was gone.

            The violet haired woman stared at her sister's paper first, and found she was conversing with her heart ALONG with Tsunami. She couldn't help but chuckle that it looked like one big chat box of doom. She watched the paper form words by an invisible hand.

_Hey, Tsunami?_

_"What is it?"_

_Can I get out of here?_

_"Ask your heart, I don't know."_

_Ummmm... Heart?_

_'Hmm?'_

_How do I get out of here?_

_'You have to admit something. Like facing the truth of something you don't want to.'_

_How's that?_

_'You have to remember something you've forgotten. In your case, it could be in Tsunami's past as well.'_

_"Really?"_

_'Yes, really. A goddess asking a lowly self like me is honorable.'_

_"You're not low, neither of you."_

_Yeah right._

_"I mean it!"_

_'Wow...'_

Ayeka turned to Ryoko's and burst out in laughter at the text that was now showing up.

_I'm NOT a pig! Let me outta here!_

_'Can't do that, pig.'_

_STOP THAT DOUGHNUT FACE!_

_'Yummy...'_

_ARGHHHH!!!!_

_'Hehehehee, you see the truth now?'_

_NO NO NO NO!!!!_

_'Thought so... Gotta look deeper, piglet.'_

_Why you.... Oh yeah. Jesus I'm stupid!_

_'You sure are!'_

_I can't believe I'm arguing with my heart! My god that's childish!_

_'No freaking duh.'_

_Well wise girl (lookie!I remembered that the heart was Ryoko! Aren't I smart?) since you're so smart, why don't you ask Washu what's going on?_

_'Can't.'_

_Why not?_

_'I'm the heart. We're only connected by the brain, dumbo.'_

_I'm NOT dumbo! Ayeka is!_

_'How rude.'_

_MAN! You're even starting to act like her! And you're me for god sakes!_

_'Oh yeah, did I mention that she's listening in on this too?'_

_WHAT?!_

_'Washu needed to take a break, so Ayeka's listening to every word you say, piglet.'_

_I'm not a piglet already! Ayeka! If you're listening to this, watch something else! This is gonna get ugly!_

The princess continued to watch as the two sharing the same body quarreled with one another, cursing this way and that.

_(censored due to small children)_

Ayeka covered her eyes as the pirate swore and the word (a certain four letter word I'm sure you all know of) appeared, no stars or anything to block the unwanted lettering. (lol... I had to put that in there. Naughty Ryoko!) The polite woman switched her gaze back to Sasami, which was mostly blank because she was thinking. She decided this was a good time as any to talk to her. "...Sasami?" text appeared after

_"Sasami, Ayeka's talking."_

_'Yeah! Answer back!'_

_...What is it Ayeka?_

            Ayeka sighed in relief, at least they could hear her, "Um... Are you all right?"

_Yeah, the pain's all gone. Tsunami's talking to me, so is my heart._

            "That's good. The food's been cooked by Washu ever since you two fell down."

_Is it good?_

            "Not as good as yours or Ry-" she caught herself in midsentence.

_Hah! I knew it! You do like Ryoko's cooking!_

"Do not!"

_So!_

"NOT!!!!"

_Fine, be that way. Did Mitis go away?_

"Yes... Washu pissed him off by getting Ryoko back,"

_That's good! Anything else you want to ask me?_

Ayeka paused for a second, then let the question blurt out, "Why did you help Ryoko? You could've been killed!" Text appeared on both sheets this time. First Ryoko's: 

_Ayeka! That's cruel! Don't (bleeping in process) pick on her because she saved the "pirate!"_

Sasami's:

_Um.... I don't know why. She's a really good friend and I'd hate myself if she got hurt. But another reason is because she's just like me. In a way, she can be an old cranky lady, but if you get to her soft side, she's still a kid who never got to live her childhood thoroughly. One other reason is because... because.. Because this is what happened in my dream. _

            Ayeka gasped as the text stopped appearing on her sister's board, and Ryoko's was just periods dabbing themselves onto the paper. The princess talked no more, and watched for the next few hours, in silence.

Washu helped herself to some hidden doughnuts in her fridge, still listening to her daughter, and laughing as she shared the snack with Ryo-ohki. 

_(censored again due to small children)_

"Man, who'd have thought Ryoko could be that much of a talker, funny..." the scientist mumbled, flipping on something as she walked out of the lab. Tenchi was already seated on the couch, reading through the second book of the set his father had handed to him about handling his temper better. The redhead sat on the couch, receiving glances around the room from Mihoshi and Kiyone, and of course Tenchi. Washu looked back, "What? Is it so bad to watch TV?" she asked innocently, and flipped it to Comedy Planet, much to Mihoshi's joy. 

            Kiyone watched in interest as the show was the one where the three robots watched a movie and made corny jokes about it as they watched. She even snickered a couple of times, though quiet enough to only let it audible to Washu and Ryo's ears. Tenchi managed a smile when he looked up from his book every once in a while, until he finally put it down and laughed along with Mihoshi, even if they were stupid jokes at times.

            Ayeka sat down on the purple cushion Washu had pulled out of nowhere when she'd come in, and continued to watch the script, unknowingly, her clothes tapped Sasami's hand, and the script took an abrupt change. The princess watched in horror as she jumped out of her seat and read the words, denying them for false. Even Tsunami's memory had gone.

_Happiness, what a bunch of junk._

_"Happiness?"_

_Goodness, crappy stuff I tell ya._

_'Oh man! Not again...'_

_"Again?"_

_Yeah? Again?_

_'Yes, again! This is the fifth time already!'_

_Fifth time what?_

_'God...'_

_"I'm a god."_

_'Of course you are.'_

_"Then bow to me, freak!"_

_'This is gonna take a while...'_

Ayeka kicked her pillow, and plopped back down in it, far away from the two sleepers. "Might as well wait until her heart makes it back to her. It's MY fault!!!" her cries echoed helplessly in the gigantic lab.

            Ryoko heard her cries, and began talking through the paper, even if she didn't know it was appearing on the paper.

_Ayeka! What's your fault? You didn't do anything!_

She replied back slowly, "Sasami's lost her memory again. It'll take at least an hour for her to regain it again."

_So? It's ONE hour! One hour! You don't need to get all funny about it!_

"That's not the point!"

_Oh? If I could wake up I'd probably be running. But... What point?_

"I am the one who delayed her waking up! And if you were awake, you'd be crying helplessly if YOU were the one that delayed it. She saved your life remember?"

_I remember. And I'm sorry about that, I didn't want her to get hurt, but... She's the one that shoved me out of the way! You can't change the past, so stop dwelling on it!_

"Oh sure. And you have those nightmares about Kagato? Is that not "dwelling" on the past?" 

_That hurts. How would you feel if you had to (bleeping) kill all those families because a certain bastard wanted to rule the entire (bleeping) universe? Goddammit Ayeka! It feels like shit! And how'd you know I had those dreams?_

"Duh. Anyone who has ears could hear your sobbing from the roof, even Washu could hear it, because she came out of her lab to make sure you went back to sleep dreamless!"

_Ayeka! STOP IT!!!_

The princess turned her gaze to the pirate herself, just to see if there was any reactions. To her surprise, Ryoko's face was drenched in tears, and more were still coming. She turned back to the text, "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was that sensitive a subject for you."

_Yeah right, princess bitch._

            Ayeka ignored the comment.

_I hate feeling like this! It feels worse than hell itself, and I'm LIVING through it! Washu doesn't even know how I feel! I keep that part blocked up!_

Ayeka continued to watch, "I'm sorry..."

_SHUT-UP!!! YOU'RE NOT HELPING!!!_

Unknown to the princess, Washu watched the whole thing, only coming out of the shadows to slap her if she made Ryoko lose her memory.

_..... Idiot._

"Look who's talking. Arguing with her heart."

_Shut-up about that._

"Make me!"

_I would if I could!_

"HAH! Guess you can't. Too bad for you."

_AYEKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

"What? Are you going to tell me about being Kagato's whore?"

_GODDAMMIT AYEKA!!!! SHUT-UP!!! I DON'T WANT TO FREAKING TALK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!_

"Hmph, as if you can get up and make me."

_....................................................................................................................................................................................._

Ayeka sat back down and watched the paper slowly tell her about her past.

_You want to know what happened in the past? FINE. It started 5000 years ago..._

The princess watched as the pirate explained her life, little by little.

_I woke up, and the first thing I received was a slap across the cheek._

"What about your childhood? You must remember some of that."

_No. I don't. The bastard completely blocked them off. Anyways, after that…_

Ayeka turned away from the summoner and met with a blow to the cheek, hitting the bruised skin Ryo had put. The princess's face turned to the other side completely. She cupped her cheek with her hand, and faced Washu, "How dare you. Don't EVER insult Ryoko like that in the future, got that? How would you feel if you had to live through the shit Kagato put her through for 5000 years? Why don't we use the virtual reality room and find out. Get the hell outta my lab before I do something…else. And be lucky you only got smacked," the princess of the Jurai Royal family, ran away. The scientist put her hand down and walked over to the tube, facing her daughter. 'Are you all right? You're going to be waterlogged if you cry like that any longer,"

_Shut-up._

            "I'm sorry I let her do that. Anyways, I heard you're remembering! You remember how you got captured?

_Yeah, he completely blasted our house to bits, then you were in the air with your sword drawn. Kagato, I think he was the one with his arm around me, then sealed you in a crytal thingie, morphing you into your child form to make more room. What he didn't know was you still had a gem. It's on your neck, am I right?_

"Yes, but how did you know? I didn't say anything about having a gem."

_Ummmm... Well, you can fly and stuff, make energy swords, sometimes teleport and phase!_

            "You got me there. Pretty smart thinking."

_But, if you have a gem. That means two of mine are phoney, because Ryo-ohki has one too._

            "Very good! Yes, I gave each of us a gem. Minagi has one because Yakage stole a proto type of a gem I was making. The gem you're wearing right now in a phoney, that's why Katsuhito is still alive, his young appearance needs a true gem on the Tenchi-ken."

_You saw through the mask too?_

            "Uh, yeah. He didn't do a too good of job trying to say his mask was real. But, Ayeka doesn't know, and he asked us to keep it from them, you know?"

_Yup. Anyways, you were talking about the gems?_

            "Oh yeah! Well, since the gems were totally impossible to copy. I made completely different ones, not as powerful as the original, but powerful enough to blow a planet to bits if they're all together. You see, when one has all three gems, the real ones, combined, you can make the ten lighthawk wings. But the flaw in the gems is that someone can control you through them, like Kagato and Mitis did."

_That sucks..._

"You bet it does. I didn't know about the flaw until too late, because Kagato snuck in one night while we were sleeping, and inputted those flaws. So I'm sorry about that."

_But it wasn't your fault!_

"Yes it was..."

_WASHU!_

"What?"

_Stop ^%&$*^% blaming yourself! You can't change the past!_

            "Watch your mouth."

_Shut-up. It's MY mouth, I can do what I want with it._

"Goddamn puberty..."

_I'm not in puberty!_

"Hah! Yeah right. Then why do you act all bitchy around me?"

_Because......Because......._

Washu watched in interest, "Because...?"

_Because I'd be showing emotion if I don't tease you! There, I said it!!!_

"Is that so. What emotion would that be?"

_…Now, how do I get outta here?_

Washu shrugged, "Oh well. Change the subject why don't ya,"

_Soooo?_

"Scared of your own feelings?"

_Stop it! You're acting like my heart!_

"Well, half your heart IS me. So of course I'd be acting like you, Ryoko."

_Um…Um…Um…_

"Embarrassed?"

_NO!!! What's to be embarrassed about?_

"Being part of me if you like it or not?"

_………………………_

"Want me to leave?"

_No, not really._

"How sweet."

_Where am I in your lab?_

"In a tube, green fluid keeping you afloat. You got oxygen, since you like breathing so much."

_And Sasami?_

"She's on a table right next to you. I've kept a record of what you guys said in there."

_Poopy…_

"What? You might find it funny if you read it in the future."

_Whatever. Now, what would be a good secret to let out to get me out of here?_

            "I don't know…" the scientist knew, but she wouldn't admit it, "maybe admitting your love to someone?"

_Hmph, easier said than done. What's Mitis been up to?_

"He's still orbiting around the Earth. Simply mad out of his mind that I got you back to us. He'll come back soon though,"

_I hate being like this. Isn't there anything that can wake Sasami or me up?_

            "No. If I try taking you out by force, you'll probably lose your memory, or brain damage,"

_That stinks._

"I'll go. I have to take a nap, sorry. I'll be right here, just sleeping,"

_Okay, night-er-day, or whatever._

Washu took a larger pillow out of subspace and curled up on it, letting her thoughts drift into dreamland. Ryoko still kept talking to her heart.

_'That was sweet, Ryoko.'_

_Shut-up, I'm trying to concentrate._

_'About what?'_

_SHUT-UP!!!_

_'Fine then.'_

Ryoko concentrated hard, and watched her past play before her. Receiving the first blow to the cheek she could remember, skipping ahead to blowing up a bank, and strangling a person while her eyes glowed a blood red. Washu was talking to her the whole time. The pirate watched the scene skip ahead to a few years in the future, and shut her eyes, not wanting to see this again. It was the time Kagato took complete advantage over her paralyzed body. The summoner shut her eyes hard, and tried skipping ahead. It went to the part where she was trapped inside the cellar for two to three months, with nothing but beans and Washu to talk to. "Washu… Why does it keep coming back to her?" she thought mentally, thinking why the scientist meant so much in the past.

            Then it hit her, hit her hard.

            "No way… I have to admit THAT?" Ryoko shook her head, and kept thinking about her past. Kagato this… Kagato that, that's all she could remember besides Washu. Washu… The pirate mentally slapped herself, "Well, I DID save her… I-I don't really know why, I just did… Is it? No way," she went on thinking. Tears went down her face unconsciously again as she watched the attack on Jurai again. Her mother was talking to her then also. The pirate hugged herself close, even in the tank she was curled up.

            Washu…

            Her name kept echoing in her head as flashes of images appeared with the two of them together, even some pictures of her as a kid riding on her back. No pain came to her heart or brain when she thought of them, but the rest was foggy mist when she tried to push it further. "I can remember…"

_'See? I told you that you still had some memories! Ain't I smart?' my heart cried out._

_Shut-up._

_'Now tell me what your secret is!'_

_I can't…_

_'Yes you can! Do it!'_

_I can't… I won't!_

_'Silly girl, Kagato's not here to beat the living shit out of you if you show emotion! Do you recognize me yet?'_

_Yes…_

_'Who am I then?'_

_Y-You're me.. The me I was before he kidnapped me._

_'Very, very good. I didn't think you'd get that one.'_

_But how are you still there? I thought he completely drove you out!_

_'He did. But you, with mom's help, were able to keep some of it without his knowing. Pretty good, huh?'_

_But…_

_'No but's! Admit it!'_

_Why?_

_'Do you want to get out of here or not?'_

_Yes…_

_'Then admit it!'_

_NO!_

Ryoko shut the voice up, and continued to watch her past play in front of her eyes. She knew what she had to do, but she wouldn't do it unless it was a last resort. 'You know you'll do it soon enough…' her brain interrupted her thoughts. "Yeah? So?" 'If you want to get out of here just say it! Say it like you mean it!' The summoner clutched her head, and shut off all forms of communication, minus Washu's, which she didn't know, because she forgot.

            "FINE!!! I-I… W-……. M-M-Mommy, I love you!!!"

            The tube around her shattered, the oxygen tube was torn from her face as the fluids burst from the tank. The pirate's eyes were swollen, and her naked form collapsed onto the ground, shivering helplessly as she clutched at herself. Her cyan hair was spikier, and her gem was glowing profusely. The pirate shivered, even if she couldn't feel the cold. Ryoko felt a towel fall onto her back, and a hand rested itself on her shoulder. Washu knelt down in front of her daughter, and smiled, "You do, huh? Nice to know," the summoner didn't care anymore, and leaned into her, sobbing a little. 

            The scientist shifted a little so Ryoko didn't lean onto her gash, and lifted her other arm around the pirate's other shoulder. Washu phased some clothes onto her daughter, which dried her off a little. She smiled wider as Ryoko leaned in closer, and spoke softly to her, "I'm proud of you, hun," the cyan haired woman replied mentally, not regaining full use of her mouth, **How so? **"You managed to listen to your heart, remember who she was really, and then admitted the truth about your feelings. You took it like a grown-up, you took it like a kid, that takes a lot of guts, Ryoko." The redhead unconsciously started rubbing her thumb up and down the ex-pirate's spine, the shivering stopping a little.

The table that held Sasami was now fifteen feet away from the tank, the little princess strapped tightly to the metal board. Ryoko kept leaning into her mother's shoulder, not flinching when she rubbed up and down her spine. "It's all right, Mama's gotcha," Washu muttered, noticing her crying for the first time, "Why are you crying?" **I'm glad. **"Glad? For what?" **I can remember a little. **"Ryoko, that's great! Why didn't you tell me?" **Thought you knew all ready, since you knew I cried that out. **"No, the only reason I knew that is because you shouted it at the top of your lungs and a wave of fluid soaked me silly," the pirate giggled in her grasp. "Why don't we go see the others? They're worried sick!" the redhead let go of Ryoko and helped her up, since she'd been floating for a few weeks. The pirate leaned into the adult scientist for support, stumbling every few feet or so. Washu really didn't care, just happy out of her mind that her daughter was finally accepting her as her mother.

            Ryo-ohki watched the two walk out of the lab, stepping out soon after so Ryoko wouldn't notice that she'd watched the whole thing. Tenchi immediately rushed from his seat to see her, asking a billion questions a minute, Ryoko, are you hurt? Ryoko, can you stand? Ryoko this way, Ryoko that way for five whole minutes, leaving a flabbergasted Hakubi family. "Sweet Jesus, since when do you care so much, huh?" the half-breed blushed, and put a hand to the back of his head, scratching it. Mihoshi smiled at Washu, giving her a, congratulations look seeing her daughter leaning against her without a word of disgust.

            Kiyone watched her partners look, and noted to herself to ask what the look was about. The only person not present was Ayeka, who'd seemingly hidden herself in her room to, "Think." Ryoko made her way to the couch with the scientist's help, and watched Comedy Planet for the rest of the evening, leaning back on Washu and fell to sleep.

**Author's Notes:** Hahahaha!!!! I AM DONE WITH THE CHAPTER!!! Oh yeah, the italics where Ryoko was talking Angst and stuff, that was originally supposed to be a poem. But then I thought of this, and WHAMO! I had to put it down. For those who liked, Washu's Journal, I'm gonna finish this first. Sorry about that, but I want to get this out of the way. Let me tell you this, this may or may not be a Tenchi Ryoko romance, I'm not all hyped up, but I'll think of something if you guys vote. SO TELL ME WHETHER YOU WANT TENCHI RYOKO, OR JUST A PLAIN STORY WHERE RYOKO FINALLY LET'S GO OF THE PAST!!! And, Ayeka fans, sorry for bashing her, but I really get annoyed by her bitching sometimes.


	6. The Goddess Ryoko

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! And all its' characters belong to Pioneer.

_If-If he stood! Enough of ifs!_

_He knew a path that wanted walking;_

_He knew a spring that wanted drinking;_

_A thought that wanted further thinking;_

_A love that wanted re-renewing._

_Nor was this just a way of talking._

_To save him the expense of doing._

_With him bodded action, deed._

_(part six of, 'A Lone Striker' by Robert Frost)_

**Author's Notes: PLEASE READ!!! Anyways, wondering why I'm sooo nice to Mihoshi? Here's why...**

**Favorite Characters Top ten**

**1. Washuu Hakubi**

**2. Ryouko Hakubi**

**3. Minagi Hakubi**

**4. Ryo-ohki Hakubi**

**5. Mihoshi Kuramitsu (SEEE!!! Mihoshi's no. 5! Don't ask why, I just do)**

**6. Zero (in Ryouko's form)**

**7. Sasami Jurai**

**8. Kiyone Makabi**

**9. Tenchi Masaki**

**10. Achika Masaki**

**(notice all the Hakubi's? Up there on the top?)**

**As you notice, Ayeka is not in there. Know why? BECAUSE SHE'S A SPOILED BRAT PRINCESS, THAT'S WHY!!! Don't get me wrong, I don't HATE her prepetually, it's just I really-really don't like her because she acts like she can do whatever she wants and gets away with it! At least I'm not bashing her! And, you have to take into consideration that Ayeka is a princess. She's used to ordering servants (dare I say slaves) around to get her laundry, cook her food, help her change her clothes, the likes! Anyways, she just needed to get used to the planet Earth, so now she does chores and the sort she wouldn't do as a princess because she'd probably break a nail. __**

**All Alone (part six)**

            Ryoko stood alone in the darkness, watching her past for the third time that day. But this time, this time, it was ten times worse. The screams were sharper than before, the blood flashed in front of her eyes like she was in a pure bloodbath of god knows what in it. She felt a soreness on her cheek, her other cheek was drenched, she felt someone holding her, but she couldn't say who.

_Cold..._

_It's really cold._

_            The summoner shivered, feeling another wet liquid fall onto her shoulder. She could not move, her throat would not scream, her eyes were taped open, and her top was off. She remembered this, not as clear as the rest, though. Kagato had beaten her practically to death, muted her voice box, and paralyzed her body. Ryoko knew what would happen next, and she screamed mentally as Kagato appeared out of the shadows._

_No...._

_Not him.._

_I'm so cold..._

_Cold......_

_Someone..._

_            She heard a voice calling out to her, though she could not identify it. The voice called out to her fiercely, and she felt another slap of pain on her cheek. She felt her whole body drenched in a matter of seconds, and another invisible person holding her._

_I can't remember.._

_No.._

_I'm Ryoko.._

_And I'm cold.._

            Her teeth chattered again, and the silouhette of the figure became clearer. Ryoko wanted to scream, and found again that she couldn't. 

_Another slap..._

_Another drenching.._

_I'm a defective demon._

_No..._

_I AM Ryoko.._

_I am cold..._

_Someone help me.._

_            Kagato was five feet from her now, and she tried to shove him out of her mind. He neared her, and then..._

            She screamed.

            Ryoko shot up in the couch, nearly smacking Washu and Tenchi's heads from the abrupt movement. It took her a second to notice she was still screaming, and clamped her mouth shut, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to break out. It was still dark out, and the moonlight still managed to sting her eyes when they smacked them. Everyone was in the room, minus Nobuyuki and Katsuhito. She found herself drenched, and Kiyone holding another water bucket, Mihoshi having a damp cloth. Her cheek felt sore, and she fingered it tenderly.

            The people in the room stared at her, she wasn't making a sound. Ayeka watched from over the couch as the pirate layed her hand back down, satisfied that nothing had scratched her. Everyone was quiet, not daring to break the silence that bound them. And then, after a few moments, a voice cracked it, "I-I need to be alone," Ryoko's voice croaked as if she hadn't used it for years. They all watched as she phased from existence, a faint sob echoing before she disappeared.

            The half breed reached out but was stopped by Washu, "Washu? What happened? Why is she so upset?" her watchful emerald eyes layed themselves on him, causing the boy to shudder, "Don't ask. She'll tell you when she's ready. I won't go after her unless she calls it. I can't invade her privacy 24/7 you know. Let her think this out on her own," "But what happened? I swear I won't tell her!" her hand met skin with raw force, "_Don't ask me. I __said she'll tell you when she's ready! It's not my right to tell you! If you're so curious, __go ask her!!!" the scientist bellowed, turning around and picking up the soaking towel from the floor, and walking away before anything could stop her._

            Kiyone walked back outside and dumped the bucket, surprised herself that Ryoko: The Space Pirate could ever be that soft. She even felt guilt for her, sorry that she ever had that horrific past, and has to be haunted by it every night of her life. "There's no peace for her soul..." she mumbled, unconciously walking up the steps and into her room, shutting the door quietly. She plopped down onto her futon, sitting Indian Style while her thumbs fingernail made it's way to her teeth. The officer stared at the wall, and jumped out of her skin when she heard a knock at the door, "Kiyone? You awake?" Mihoshi's voice entered quietly. Kiyone glared at the door, "...No," the door slid open anyway and she saw Mihoshi looking downcast.

            "What's up?" she asked, trying to hide the guilt in her voice. "Can I sleep in here tonight? I need to talk to you about stuff," "Yeah sure, as long as you don't crap in the bed." "That's cruel. I'm not a baby," Kiyone huffed roughly and stared back at the ground while her partner just threw down the blankets sloppily and sat down on them. "So? What do you need to talk about?" the blond officer sat cross-legged and stared into her blue eyes, "...It's about Ryoko."

            "Oh."

            "She's not a bad person!"

            "I know."

            "She was innocent. Then that Kagato guy came and took her away from her childhood, or should we say teenagerhood,"

            "Are we just reviewing her life?"

            "No. I just want to say that she's always been like this."

            "What? Soft?"

            "No. The nightmares. They attack her mind every single night. But she usually doesn't scream."

            "I feel sorry for her."

            "Don't. She hates getting pity,"

            "All right. I won't pity her, but I still do anyways."

            "Keep it to yourself then,"

            "Fine. I'm going to bed, I need to think this through,"

            "Okay, night Kiyone."

            And the two partners fell asleep under the same roof.

            Ryoko was sitting on her bed, in the tree house, letting the water trail down her body slowly, not really caring about being wet. She stared at the gem on her wrist as if in a trance, wondering why she still wore it. Her mind was quickly distracted when her door slid open. "Can I come in?" Washu asked, rubbing some dust off her red vest. "Yeah, whatever," her amber eyes trailed back to the ground as her shoulders slumped lazily.

            The scientist seated herself on the floor, her adultish body making it look silly in that position. "So... Have you cried yet?" she asked, leaning onto one of her hands as her side leaned onto her knee. "No, I'm trying not to." "You should let it out, it'll only get worse if you hold it in, you know?" Ryoko stayed silent. "Listen to me. I know that your dreams have been haunting you. But try and go on in life! Try to let go like you do around Sasami! And I haven't seen you talk to Tenchi in weeks!" No responce. "Ryoko..." Washu leaned more into her hand.

            "What?" the scientist jumped when she heard her voice, and had to put a little joke in, "I told you puberty sucks," "I'm _not in puberty!" "Whatever..." the silence went on for about another twenty minutes. A little sob broke into the air as the scientist looked up and saw Ryoko fighting to keep the tears down. "Ryoko... Just let it out, you'll feel better," two lone tears fell from each eye, the pirate catching them before they fell to the ground. "Hah! I just remembered. Before he did "that", you were talking to me. I just remembered." Washu smiled, "Well, your memory's quite good if you can remember that. Do you know what I said?" Ryoko nodded tiredly, "Yes.. You said you'd always be there. You even started talking about what we used to do. I couldn't feel half the shit he did to me because of you," she broke down crying._

            "And I wasn't. I broke a promise. I could talk to you, and shut your nerves down for a little while. But I wasn't able to be a person you could cry onto. That bit me in the ass for 5000 years," Ryoko kept her head hung down, letting a few sobs escape her breath. Washu got up and sat next to her, her thumb going up her spine again as the pirate leaned onto her mother again, muttering a few words before the silence came over again, "Thanks Mom,"

            Tenchi banged his head onto the wall, almost unable to keep his scream a hiss. "Goddammit. How can I just sit here when she's being tortured like that?! God..." he buried his head into his pillow and sighed. "Geez... I can't believe I'm worrying about her like this. I mean, I like her a lot. And she's always had those dreams... But tonight had to be different, she never screamed like that, not even when I was about to die! Man... It's something to do with Kagato. I need a paper," he hopped out of bed and rumaged through his drawers, pulling out a blank lined piece of paper and a number 2. pencil.

            "Okay, what's the number one thing that could freak a girl like her out that way? Well, rape is one... Being raped and having someone raped and killed in front of you... Jesus! Get away from that! I'm getting nowhere... I'm making Kagato sound like a person who treated girls like sex toys. Who knows? Maybe he did." the half breed groaned loudly and let his forehead smack the desk, his pencil lead breaking in the process. He let the things go and clutched his head, messing up his spikey hair even more.

            Ayeka tried to get to sleep, and found that she couldn't. Her mind would simply not cooperate with her that night. The princess lay in the bed and stared at the cieling, her headdress' beads falling back, tapping her ears slightly. "Why can't I get my mind off her?" she muttered, rubbing her forehead with dainty fingers. Ryoko's sleeping face had been contorted with fear and sorrow, and when she wouldn't wake up, Washu had slapped her. 

            She knew it wasn't out of anger though.

            Sasami had once told her about a mental connection they all shared, the Hakubi family. At first she though it a lie thought up by the demon, but then she corrected herself when she saw the way Washu's face was full of concern when the nightmare had started. The pirate had been mumbling, something about being cold. Wanting help, and not wanting him to be there. Ayeka presumed this to be Kagato. And she felt guilt, _guilt when the summoner had her arms cross over her chest, her breaths become raggady. The princess didn't know why, but she felt that Kagato had raped her._

            "If that's the case..." Ayeka buried her head into her pillow and let sleep overtake her fully.

            Sasami shot up from the table, her elbem glowing frantically. Her pink eyes full of fear, and the Tsunami half of her talking quietly. _Sasami. Do not worry, Ryoko is safe. She's safe because of her mother. The little girl rubbed her eyes tiredly, then jumped when she saw nothing but darkness in every direction. "Tsunami...?" she asked, curling up tightly into a ball. __What is it? _

            "How do I get out of here?"

_Just go straight. Washu put a portal for you in case you woke up._

_            "Okay. Thank you."_

_You're welcome._

_            Sasami jumped out of the tables bed-like feature, and ran forward, nearly tripping over the couch when she appeared out in the living room. Her blue hair stuck underneath her as she stumbled to the ground, the lab door closing itself. The Jurian princess sat up, turned around, and plopped on her bottom, leaning on the back of the couch. A soft meow interupted her silence. Sasami turned her head and faced Ryo-ohki, who was kneeling beside her friend, a loose t-shirt and some pants on._

            She smiled, "Hi Ryo-ohki. Nice night, huh?" she meowed back. "Yeah, I know. I know. Ryoko had that dream where she... Um, nevermind. You already know, right?" Ryo nodded, then pulled her up and led her to the couch. The humanoid sat down and patted the seat next to her, signalling for her to sit next to her. Sasami sat down and leaned into her, not for any reason. The cabbit, to say none the less, was startled.

            "What? I'm just tired. I had a humongous talk with my heart. And I want to talk to Ryoko when she comes back," (Note: Ryo-ohki and Sasami are strictly PLAYMATES. They are not gay in any way. AT ALL) her mouth stretched into a yawn, and she pulled back from the humanoid, who was still startled by her actions. Sasami stretched her arms, then rubbed some drool threatening to fall out of the side of her cheek. "You know what? I'm hungry, and I'm really thirsty too," Ryo fell over.

            The princess stumbled into the kitchen, her pink eyes half closed, and opened the fridge slowly, blinking blindly as the light attacked her eyes. She rubbed them hard, then snatched a bagel and some cookies for a snack. Sasami closed the fridge, sighing in relief that the light was gone. She tossed Ryo-ohki the cookies, not really in the mood to eat sweets. They settled down outside the front door, gazing at the stars as the clouds and the silhouette of the ship went by.

            Ryoko and Washu walked back to the house, not saying a word to each other becuase they were tired. A half an hour went by and the summoner spotted the two people leaning up against the house, asleep. "Look! Sasami's up!" the pirate dragged her mother tiredly, and stopped in front of the two. Washu slumped, her shoulders sagging, "Yeah, okay... Let's get them inside before they catch a c-c-cold..." she yawned on the last word.

            "All right. You take Ryo, I'll take Sasami," Ryoko knelt over and picked the princess up, cradling her gently. The scientist did the same to Ryo-ohki, though almost falling over with the doubled weight on her legs, "Good god, she has to cut off on those snacks, she's getting heavy," Washu walked with her daughter into the living room and set them down, pulling a blanket over the two of them before sitting down themselves.  

            Ryoko blushed.

            "What? What're you blushing for, huh?" the redhead asked, putting her arms behind her head and glancing at her through the corners of her eyes. "Um, there seems to be only enough room for the one of us," Washu shrugged, "We'll share then. Or is that too embarassing?" 

            "I'll just curl into a ball thank you very much," Ryoko stated as-matter-of-factly, scooting to the corner of the couch and curling up into a ball, and shutting her eyes. Washu sighed, staring at the ceiling for what seemed like a few hours. 'Mitis... He seemed so familiar. He looked a lot like Kagato-_wha?!' the scientist glanced down from the ceiling, her neck cracking when she felt something touch her. The shock erased from her eyes when she saw that Ryoko had managed to sleep crawl over and cuddle. 'She's probably cold... Oh well, if she screams in the morning I'll say I didn't do nothing. Have a good sleep, Little Ryoko,' the scientist rested her hand on the pirate's back and fell asleep._

            Ayeka's eyes opened with a start, the usual banging on her door gone, and she turned to look at the vacant bed next to hers. 'Sasami... I wonder if she's awake yet.' she highly doubted it, but got dressed anyway and went downstairs for a surprise. Her red eyes looked around the quiet room, spotting red and cyan spikes jutting out in different directions on the couch, and some brown and white hair on the other. The princess walked over to the couch and hunched over it, smiling when she saw Ryoko clutching her mother. She turned her gaze, and nearly fell onto the couch.

            Sasami!

            Ayeka rushed over to her little sister and clutched her sleeping body hard, smiling when Ryo watched them half-asleep. She let go of Sasami and found her grinning goofy like, "Gee Ayeka, I didn't know you cared so much. Gosh," Ayeka blushed, and pushed herself off the couch, her eyes staring at the two Hakubi's once more. "You know? They look really peaceful right now. They've been that way for almost an hour since I woke up." Sasami stated, stretching her tired arms into the air, then scratching her back, "I already ate. But I didn't have enough stuff to make everyone something. So you'll have to settle with snadwiches," the two sisters walked out of the room, helping themselves to some snacks.

            Ryo stared at her sister and mother, not daring to go over there and breaking the bond that had been restored, though she readied her ears if Ryoko were to scream. The humanoid got up and folded the blanket slowly, stuffing it back into the crowded closet and sitting back onto the couch, flipping on the tv. She heard some steps on the stars and turned around to face Tenchi, Mihoshi, and Kiyone. She put a finger to her lips, and motioned to the two on the other couch. They all nodded and sat on the same couch she occupied, glancing over to them every once and a while.

            Sasami came back into the room and nearly drew a scream from everybody. "What? I woke up last night when you were all sleeping. Here," the princess tossed some sandwiches to all of them, then dragged Ayeka in to sit with the rest of them. They watched the news, a few Comedy Planet shows, and a movie. Ryoko's eyes opened half way, then squinted again and turning her head into something... soft? She glanced up and saw Washu sleeping soundly. 'Eek. I sleep crawled!' the pirate took her mothers hand off her back and found it to be asleep, since it dangled in the air stupidly. Tenchi looked at her quickly before turning to watch the screen again.

            Ryoko set her hand back on Washu's lap, then scooted away, trying her best not to wake her up. The pirate sat for the next hour, until she found the redhead had fell over and was now leaning onto her shoulder.

            She slumped.

            'Oh man. Now how do I get her offa me this time?' Ryoko stared at the tv, trying to shove the thought that her mother was leaning on her. HER! Sasami looked over and smiled at them, winking at Ryoko as the summoner blushed.

            The show went on.

            Hours went by.

            Washu's eyes flickered open, feeling an amazing uncomfortablness in her position. She found she was leaning onto something. A cyan lock of hair was by her face.

            She understood.

            The scientist shoved herself up into a sitting position painfully, her back cracking loudly. Ryoko reached up and rubbed her shoulder, "Jesus, you'd think you'd wake up sooner. But nooo, you have to wait until everyone but Mihoshi and Kiyone are gone and while I bet butt cramps," Washu snickered at her daughters statement.

            The blond haired officer was introducing Kiyone to shoujo ai comic books. The teel haired woman didn't seem to be too interested, but kept attention to keep her partner happy.

            Ryoko stood up and stretched, her clothes changing from a striped slip-on dress, to the green and pink clothing on top of it (like in the OAV Ep: 4. Mihoshi Falls to the Land of Stars) the pirate drowsily went to the kitchen and made herself a quick sandwhich.

            The redhead walked back to her lab, stopped, and turned back around. 'I'm not gonna hide like that anymore. I'll go in there for when I'm bored.' She stopped again, and shivered. "You cold, Little Washu?" Mihoshi asked, looking up from her comic. Washu shook her head, rubbing up and down her arms, "Ummm, no. I just need to think, I'll be outside if you need me," with that said and done, she walked out front.

            At the same tree she sat at weeks before, the scientist stared into the water, unable to get the shivers away. "Why am I feeling like this? It's not cold. I'm not afraid of anythi-" she caught herself in midsentence.

            Washu glanced down at the ground, ashamed of herself.

            "No. I can't believe I'm feeling this now. Not just when she admitted it and accepted me! Not now!" she clutched at her head, trying to keep herself from crying. "I can't believe it. Even after that incident with Taro I'm still afraid to love, and I'm still afraid to recieve it. Oh, damn it all," the scientist sat cross legged on the ground, trying to regain her breath with steady long ones. Her red hair danced, the breeze cooling off her tired and beaten body a little. A sharp pain in her abdomen reminded her. "Dang. I forgot to change the bandage... Ugh... _Pain," her hand made its' way to the gash, feeling around the tender, scabbing, skin, she looked for the sore spot._

            Her eyes clamped shut when an undesirable pain shot through her body. She muffled a scream, and looked at her hand.

            "Oh shit."

            It was covered in blood.

            Lots of it.

            She was so busy in pain that she didn't hear someone walk up behind her. "What're you 'Oh shit' ing for, huh? Mom, are you all right?" Ryoko looked over her mother's shoulder, and saw the blood. "Ew, you need to clean that. I'll go get some new bandages and some clean water, be right back!" the pirate phased away without a second's thought. Washu mentally thanked her daughter, since she couldn't move proporly without feeling like a firework had just blown up inside of her.

            The familiar sound of phasing played next to her ear, and the summoner bent down over her mother. "Um... I'm not really good at this, but could you sit by that tree? I need to get your shirt and vest washed, might as well do it now before that blood stains." she placed the large roll of wrapping cloth nearby and faced her, "Okay, now I know this is gonna hurt like all of hell. Please put your arms up," the scientist was reluctant to move a square inch.

            She twitched her arm.

            Muffled another scream.

            "Oh _fine. If it hurts __that much, I'll phase it off of you. Now do you want to do this in your lab, or do you not care if you're naked?" Washu managed a smile. **Heh, heh, lab please. The cyan haired woman shrugged, "Okay, get on my back," the scientist grumbled, knowing she would have to move no matter what. Moving slowly, the redhead shifted her position a zillion times so she made onto her back, squeaking a scream when the fabric pressed against her skin. Ryoko moved fast, phasing away from the puddle that had now formed onto the ground.**_

            They both teleported to the front of the closet door, recieving glances from Kiyone. The officer hopped up from her seat when she saw blood trailing down inside of Ryoko's leg. "Ryoko! Get changed! You started you period!!!" the pirate almost collapsed in laughter, but reminded herself that Washu was on her back. The scientist even made a small huff of laughter, managing a wide grin.

            Ryoko opened the door, walked in, and was followed by Kiyone-on request of course. As soon as they were in, the pirate directed her around, "Press kani number two please," the teel headed officer walked over to the nearby crab buttons, pushing number two. They were immediatly transported to a new, grassy looking area, a small pond in the middle. "D-Did you push the right one? I don't think this is the healing center," Kiyone nodded, "Yeah, I pushed the right button. Ask Washu,"

            Walking over to the lake, she set her mother down tentatively onto a tree, setting her down gently. They both stifled a gasp when they saw the gash had unscabbed and was bleeding profusely. "God _DAMMIT!!! Kiyone, get a bucket of water!!" Ryoko cried out, throwing the dazed officer a bucket she pulled out of no where, though having no idea how she got it. The officer ran to the lake, guessing it had to pure, and scooped up as much as she could carry._

            The scientist was unconcious from lack of blood, and was unaware that they had taken her to her 'thinking' place. Ryoko cradled her mother's head, and concentrated, phasing the bloody clothes off of her, then set her up, so she could take the bandages off. First she took the one around her forehead off, since it wasn't soaked in blood and just needed changing. After that, she tugged her near the lake and washed her off with the bucket of water, wiping away the bleeding gash.

            The skin seemed to be peeling itself away, and caused Ryoko to stare at it curiously. The skin fell into a bloody mess on the grass, staining the once nicely mowed area. "Somethings eating her... Her skin shouldn't peel away like that..." Ryoko muttered, watching another flake fall to the ground. An idea popped in her head.

            _Masu....._

_            My invention that made Ryo-ohki._

_            That's it!!_

_            The pirate shot her amber eyes up to meet Kiyone's cerulean blue ones, "Kiyone, watch her for a sec. I'll be right back, if she wakes up, __don't let her move, got it?" the officer nodded, trembling a little. Ryoko gently moved her mother's head to rest upon Kiyone's. The summoner got up quickly, ignoring the crusted blood glued onto her clothes, and ran toward her quaters. _

            _"Warning: Warning: You have not entered the password. Warning: Warning:" a computer like voice rang out as Ryoko raced to her old room. "Oh... __Shut the hell up!" a little metal ball teleported in front of her. __"Enter password. No password. No access." the pirate glared at the machine, and threw the first thing that came to her mind out her mouth, "Little Ryoko!!!" ___

_            "Access granted. Thank you for your cooperation." _

            Ryoko couldn't believe her dumb luck, and watched stupidly as the machine buzzed off, vanishing as quick as it had appeared_. Shrugging it off, she threw the door to her room off its' hinges, the wooden piece of handy work falling twenty feet from her._

            What she saw.

            She wouldn't believe.

            "You! _What the hell are you doing HERE?!" the pirate shouted, gaping at the figure now standing in the middle of her room._

            His face turned to face her own.

            He smiled wickedly.

            "I must thank you, Ryoko! Without you, I would not have been able to access! Oh and, by the way, I cannot permit you to heal your mother," Mitis said, waving her own invention around. A little thing snapped in her mind.

            The computer hadn't been talking about her.

            "Why?! _WHY?! What have we done to you?!" she cried out, glaring icicles through him._

            He merely smiled.

            "Of course! _You should know, being my royal partner those years ago!"_

            Ryoko's eyes widened.

            "I see, so it is a shock? It must be, since you forgot about me until now. But, my dear sweet demon, I must take your mother back."

            "But _why?! We've done nothing-__nothing-to you!"_

            He faced her fully, his smile turning into a twist of anger, "You must know full well. Don't ask questions you know the answers to, it makes you stupid." she clenched her fists. "Am I making you angry? Good! Let anger consume you until you are nothing else but dust. You see, I _understand human emotions. So much unlike my father did. I must make haste, and if you wish to save your mother, you know where to find me." with a swish of his cloak, he was gone._

            Ryoko stood there, her feet rooted to the spot. 'No... It can't be him. Why would he come back now?! He had his chance all those months ago when we killed Kagato! Can't believe a sick bastard like himself managed to take _my genes and make his own son. He stole Washu-Mom's idea into making a baby like myself. So that means... Oh my god....' her thoughts trailed off, and she rushed back to the so-called 'healing center,'_

            The pirate reached it in a matter of seconds, and saw in her horror as she saw Kiyone on the ground, covered in blood.

            Washu was nowhere to be found.

            Ryoko ran for the fallen officer, cradling her head like she'd done her mothers, "Kiyone! _Kiyone! Wake-up! What happened?!" the teel haired woman opened her heavy eyelids a little, gazing painfully back into Ryoko's amber ones, "Sorry... I-I tried to protect h-h-he-er, he was just too strong.. I'm sorry, R-Ryoko," a trail of fresh blood made its' way out of the corner of her mouth, dropping onto the already stained grass with a splash. _

            The summoner stared pitifully at her for a moment, then picked her up, the gash on the officer's side seeping more blood. She carried her like a baby, and ran back to the elevator, pushing the "real" kani number two. Ryoko rushed forward and set her onto a strap on table, then ran for the computer, punching in a few random keys.

            _"Identification, please." a computer voice erupted. Ryoko wanted to punch the stupid machine, "Ryoko Hakubi: demon summoner,"_

            There was silence.

            A new, more childlike voice boomed out, _"Welcome back, Ryoko," the pirate stared at it strangely, as new icons of drawn pics of Washu, Ryo-ohki, herself, and a younger looking Kagato. She was about ready to blast anything that reminded her of her slave driver. "All right. Gimme some machine to fix Kiyone up!"_

            _"Identify the injured person, and status,"_

_            "Kiyone Makabi, detective first class officer, assigned to the abandoned system, keeping patrol of the planet: 5410, also known as Earth," she stated, trying to suppress her rising frustration._

            First Washu now this.

            _"Thank you. Now state the damage and what caused it, if that is currently unknown, I shall figure it out," _

            "She's gotta large gash across her chest, probably caused by a solidified pure energy Jurian sword. A scratch on her cheek and a twisted arm," Ryoko was trembling by now.

            A few mechanical arms reached out from god knows where and started working on the officer's mangled body, fixing up the damaged skin and bones.

            Five minutes went by and Kiyone was as good as new. "Hey! You all right, Kiyone?" Ryoko called out, rushing to her side. The officer sat up, wincing a little when a dulled pain shot up, she rubbed her temple, "Uh... Yeah, I think. Where are we?" she looked around, staring at the dried blood on Ryoko, "Oh my god! Ryoko, look at yourself!"

            The pirate looked down and blushed, seeing that from her chest down, was died in blood, crusted blood. "See! I told you that you started your period!"

            Ryoko fell over.

***

            Washu scrunched her eyes, seemingly unable to open them she was in so much pain. The place she was in had to be different, the comforting warmth in her lab was gone, replaced by a cold, unwelcoming feeling that might make one shiver if close to.

            She could tell by her insticts that she had something on, but the world around her seemed to be in the air.

            Wait a second...

            In the air?

            She opened her eyes, immediatly regretting it, though. Pain just went through her like a bomb if she even attempted to move a square inch. She was right though.

            The scientist was floating...sorta.

            She was strapped to the wall, strings wrapping around her arms and legs so tightly she thought they would pop off. She felt weak. Incredibly weak.

            The redhead wouldn't attempt to close her eyes now, so she let her eyes dart around the room, noticing her gash seemed to be peeling away at itself. "I see... You are very observant, Washu," a sinister voice rang out a little, causing her half closed eyes to glare themselves at Mitis, who was standing on the ground, twenty feet away from her.

            He was waving something in the air, but she couldn't focus enough before she slipped back into unconciousness.

***

            Ryoko and Kiyone walked out of the lab, the pirate almost screaming at Ryo-ohki to let her in starship form. Tenchi grasped the summoner's shoulders before she could blow something up, "Ryoko, whats-" his mouth fell open when he saw how much dry blood was stuck onto her clothes, "Ryoko! Are you bleeding?! Or is that someone else's?!" the summoner glared at him, "Tenchi! MitiscameandgotWashuandIgottagogetherbecauseherskinwaspeelingawayandshemightdie!!!" Ryoko cried out, clenching her fists and pounding the wall. "Wha-? What did you say?" Tenchi asked, keeping a firm grip on her shoulder. 

            _"I said... MITIS CAME AND MOM AND I GOTTA GET HER BECAUSE SHE'S BLEEDING AND HER SKIN WAS PEELING AND THAT'S NOT GOOD!!!" everyone in the room had to cver their ears from the pirate's sudden outburst, even Ayeka came out of the room, fainting when she saw the blood on Ryoko's clothes._

            Sasami watched her almost-like sister try to cope with the pain of getting her mother stolen away again, then watched as the once blood-crusted clothes, morphed to a cerulean blue, vest like feature on top, a blood red shirt underneath, her belly showing, and a dress that went into two flaps at the bottom, colored blue to match the lightest blue she had ever seen. "Wow Ryoko, where'd you get that wardrobe? It matches your hair," the young princess mumbled, motioning her fingers towards the pirate's clothing.

            The summoner looked down, and was shocked, "Where'd I get this?!" Tenchi watched her, confused, "But Ryoko, you just changed into it. You don't have any recall for phasing into it?" her amber eyes stared into his own, "Nuh uh, I was just standing there," the pirate shrugged, then turned her attention back to the situation, "Well, when are we going to go? Mom needs our help! She's feeling pain, I can feel it, right up here," she conked her head. "What do you mean? You're not telepathic,"

            "Oh, that's where you're so wrong, Tenchi. Like me and Ryo-ohki, I have a connection with Mom, so she can hear my thoughts and watch through my eyes if she wants, and I can see her memories if I'm not too careful, but she's good at hiding what she wants hidden." he stared at her, throughly confused, "Why didn't you tell us? That might explain why you always had a strange face on at dinner, or why you've been so quiet these days,"

            Ryoko stayed silent.

            Ryo-ohki watched her sister quietly, seeing the summoner had turned away, the bangs of her cyan hair making a dark shadow come over her eyes. The half breed watched her curiously, then remembered what he had done, "...I'm sorry, Ryoko. You have a right to keep some things to yourself, I'm sorry," her head twitched.

            "Ryoko?"

            "...Someone slapped her."

            "Who? Who slapped who?"

            "_SOMEONE SLAPPED MOM!!! I CAN FEEL HER CHEEK BURNING!!!"_

_            Tenchi had to turn away as the summoner had a gust whirling about her, she gritted her teeth, and disappeared. Ryo bounded toward Sasami, and grabbed her hand, pulling her outside. Tenchi and the others watched as the two ran off, the darkness engulfing them._

            The humanoid pulled Sasami through twists and turns, running as fast as she could into area's she'd never been to herself. They ran into a big clearing, where they saw Ryoko standing next to a small pond, her clothing kept flickering between her battle clothes and the blue ones she'd wore a few seconds ago.

            The young Jurian princess neared her, but was stopped by Ryo's outstretched arm. Her pink eyes turned their gaze to the humanoid's gold ones, "But why can't I go near her?" she whispered, backing up a bit. "Mya." the tanned humanoid picked up a semi-large rock and flung it at Ryoko.

            The rock shattered to abblivion when it reached withing a three feet radius of the pirate.

            "Mya, meow, myamyaaa!" Ryo shrieked pointing at the dust that was once the big rock. "Oh.. So she's so mad and tied into her emotions that she's letting her rage and the gems surround her?" the cabbit nodded. "That's horrible! Shouldn't we help? I mean. I'd want to rescue my mom right now if I was in her spot!" 

            "Mya, meow miyameow mya ay, (that's impossible, if she gets into the inside of me, I'll be turned inside out by the sudden power change,)" the princess pouted, and leaned into a nearby tree, letting the pirate sort out her emotions for the time being.

            Ryoko stared at the water, a scornful look on her face, 'I can't believe I can't go right now! I want to go! Mom's in trouble, and if I don't get there fast! She'll... I think she'll bleed to death... Wait a second! If I get into an 800 meter axis from her, I should be able to transfer my gem with hers! Damn! Why'd she give me the healing gem? She could have kept it for herself and wouldn't have to give a crap whether she scratched herself, or gashed herself, she could easily heal them. Instead, she just kept a real gem and didn't give a second thought about it. Ugh! Why is life so damn unfair?!'

            The summoner's hands clenched, and the area around her feet collapsed by the sudden rush of energy, allowing them to sink into the crumbling dirt. Her amber eyes stared unemotionless at the water, a ripple of water appearing when the ground crumbled. Her whole world seemed to go black, adn the last thing she remembered, was two forms rushing to her, catching her body before it touched the ground.

***

            Washu recovered from the blow to her cheek quickly, but couldn't describe the pain when he punched her gash.

            Blood spurted from her mouth.

            She felt pain.

            A ton of it.

            Her eyes were barely able to keep themselves open, let alone look at the ground to see Mitis grinning.

            Then it hit her.

            His face.

            "_y-you... what are you doing here...?"_

_            His face twisted into a smile, "So you remember! It took you two long enough,"_

            It was clear now.

            She knew who he was.

***

            Ryo-ohki caught the fainted form of Ryoko before she hit the crumbling ground, wincing when her sister's skin singed her fingers with the power still radiating through her. She motioned for Sasami not to touch her, showing the girl her burnt fingers. Ryo carefully hoisted her onto her shoulder, feeling something drip down her back. She set the pirate down, and noticed that the gem was bleeding again, hiding it before Sasami could set her eyes onto it.

            Hoisting the light summoner back onto her shoulder, she carried her home.

            As soon as the two bodies were close to the Masaki residence, Tenchi came running out, asking what was the matter. "MYA!!! (Will you _shut-up?!)" the humanoid ran into the house before he could stop her. Ayeka was up and stared the the two people scamper into the house, setting the form of Ryoko onto the couch. The princess let her red eyes shoot from one spot to the next, still dazed from fainting at the sight of that much blood._

            Sasami rushed back into the quieted room and put a rag on the pirate's head, carefully avoiding touching the summoner's burning skin. Ryo ignored the fact that her hands were feeling like jelly, wrapping a bandage around the her wrist, trying to keep the flowing blood from bleeding to more amounts. Kiyone had backed Mihoshi out of the room, knowing full well that the blond officer got sick at the sight of blood. Ryoko's form was silent, her face's feature's etching from pain, to sorrow, then back to pain again as her body jerked under the firm grasp of her sister.

            The pirate was feeling.

            Feeling what her mother was feeling.

            _Pain._

_            Ryo-ohki doubled her efforts into trying to block their link, not wanting to feel the pain flowing through the summoner and maybe into her. The humanoid got the wet towel off her forehead, knowing that it would burst into flames if not sooner. She noticed the couch was singing black and cursed to herself, knowing she'd forgotten that the pirate's energy burst would burn the couch as well._

            Grumbling quietly, she hoisted the unconious form back onto her shoulder, running on light feet back to the lake, passing a dazed Tenchi on the way out. Sasami followed her playmate obediently out into the open. Ryo phased the clothing off the both of them, hopping into the shockingly cold water.

            She shivered.

            The humanoid felt Ryoko lurch forward in pain when the water hit them, the flowing liquid passing on top of their naked forms. Ryo took the pirate and cradled her, floating in the cold water as the others watched them, not daring to swim out into the freezing waters. She floated deftly out there, in the middle of the lake, the bottom of her hair soaking by the minute, weighing her light body down even more. The summoner's acid like skin cooled to the magical touch of the water, the humanoid's skin becoming sore from the recent burns.

            It was night out, so even if Nobuyuki decided to have a peek at the girls, he would not see them no matter how hard he tried. Ryo closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to understand why Ryoko was feeling this way. Images flowed into her head as she watched Washu get beaten practically to death at the hands of Mitis. She herself began to have aching cramps in her stomach  when her mother got thwacked in the stomach again, seeing blood spurt out of her mouth, staining her already stained clothing.

            The scientist was crying.

            The summoner was crying.

            Ryo didn't have a word to do about it.

            Sasami leaned onto Ayeka's warm stomach, hearing her older sister's insides churning against her ear. Her blue hair wavered, dancing in the light breeze that'd now begun. The elder princess had her hand on the young girls shoulder, giving her a reassurring smile that everything would be okay.

            Sasami knew better.

            "What's gonna happen to Ryoko, sis?" she mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself as a chilled breeze now swung about them. She felt her sister's body tense up at the question, hardening becuase she was nervous. "I don't know, Sasami... I don't know..." Sasami heard Ayeka choke up at the end, no matter how hard the older woman seemed to think she'd hidden it. Her pink eyes watched the two forms in the water.

            'I hope they'll be all right...' she tried to reassure herself that things would be fine, but the youngster found herself seeing things she didn't want to see.

            Washu was in the air.

            Someone was beating her senseless.

            Sasami wept.

            Tenchi heard sobs behind her, and saw Ayeka trying to comfort her little sister, wrapping her arms around the shivering girl, patting her back. The half-breed turned his eyeshot back to the two floating in the middle of the lake, seeing a soft, orange aura surrounding the two, most likely caused by Ryo-ohki. His worry turned to anger toward Mitis, 'Damn that man. Why does everything seem to happen to the Hakubi lifeline? First Kagato steals everything from them, now Mitis snapping the bonds that had been set. Jesus christ, what is with people? It's like there's a family line out there in the universe that only resolves in destroying family bonds.. But why? How can they be that damn heartless?!'

            He fell to his knees.

***

            Washu hung in the air, not even being able to describe what she was feeling.

            First of all, pain, but nothing could explain how much.

            And second, pity.

            Why?

            Becuase she knew that she was transmitting the pain into her daughter.

            Mitis had left, seemingly bored with toying with his "pet."

            Her eyes dangled closed, not daring to move an inch. The gash on her stomach had not grew, the skin had stopped flaking, but the blood pouring out of it was enough to fill a truck below her. Needless to say, she was angry. No, more than angry. Beyond comprehension angry. The ropes holding her to the wall had caused several purple marks to appear on her wrists and ankles. Blood trickled down the front of her face as the smaller gash on her forehead continued to bleed through the bandage. Her lips crusted with dried blood, more coming out.

            Wierd thing was, she was still concious.

            She knew she had to be, becuase the smell of blood unmistakingly wafted into her nostrils, making her vomit blood and some food. The taste foul on her mouth made her want to barf some more, but her stomach muscles ached, having been torn then used to shove the acid out of her system. Washu was exausted, yet she found the strength to stay alive.

            Barely.

***

            The orange aura surrounding Ryo-ohki and her sister was a healing energy pocket, created by yours truly. The humanoid had formed it around themselves, hoping the energy would find its' way to Washu over the link, noticing that her mother was still concious. The coldness of the water was finally getting to Ryo, making her almost collapse from the temperature change. Yet she had to stay up, she had to help Ryoko.

            Concentrating harder, the orange energy warmed up their naked bodies a little. The summoner's skin had been turning purple from the temperature change, and the cabbit had held her closer, hoping to share body heat to say in the least. The other's had watched intently as the orange aura had increased in solidified form, making their bodies more difficult to spot. The humanoid's concentration grew clouded, as the pirate's body had begun to twitch again, making the cold water shift around her some more.

            She held on tighter, feeling Ryoko start to slip. The bandage on her wrist now drenched with a mixture of blood and water. Ryo stumbled a little, her feet slipping on the smooth surface of the bottom of the aura, keeping them afloat. Her amber eyes watched intently onto her sisters' clamped ones, noticing she was struggling to wake up. The humanoid made no move to help her wake up.

            The summoner's body became more slippery, as the water made its' way under Ryo's fingers and making the held skin wet. Ryoko started shivering, and the humanoid held her closer, running her hand up and down her arms, knowing if she got out of the lake, the sudden rise in the temerature would send the pirate into a state of shock if she wasn't prepared for it. So the object was to wait until Ryoko woke up.

            The body in her arms twitching lessened, and one of the pirate's arms had snaked its' way around her arm, clutching it into a death grip. Ryo winced a little as her clutching soon sent her arm to sleep, causing her floating postion to feel off balanced. 

            Ryoko's eyes opened.

            The humanoid watched the pirate look surprised, her face then contorted and turned sideways, wretching into the lake. Ryo-ohki helped her sister become aware of her surroundings, steadying the summoner's feet so she didn't collapse when she vomited. Her deathgrip on the cabbit's arm had not vanished. The orange aura around them had disappeared, and the two splashed into the freezing waters.

            It was then that Tenchi ran into the lake.

            Yup, the dark-haired man ran straight into the waters once her heard Ryoko throwing up into the water. He ran, half sinking into the sticky mud. Despite Ayeka's protest to come back, he ran to them, helping Ryo hold Ryoko's weight, ignoring the fact that she was naked. The humanoid silently thanked him, knowing she could not hold their weight much longer if the summoner kept pulling down when she vomited. He carried them both back, wanting to get out of the water before he caught hypothermia. To Ryo, it was natural to walk around naked, so she didn't mind at all when he carried her, but Ryoko was a different story...

            Yeah, she didn't mind 'showing off' herself, but when it came to someone else touching her when it wasn't she who was holding someone else? She was scared. The pirate was trying to get out of his grasp the whole way onto the grass, where she wretched once again onto the green lawn. Ayeka ran into the house and got a blanket, seeing the unnatural purple shade on Ryoko's skin. Sasami ran over to her friend, trying to get the feeling back into the humanoids left arm.

            Ryoko curled up into a tight ball and shivered, inching away when Tenchi tried to come close. The elder princess came back out of the house, holding a blanket and an outfit she'd snatched out of her wardrobe, seeing that Ryoko kept her clothes in subspace. She gave Sasami one to give to Ryo, who noticied for the first time how cold she was. Kiyone helped with Ryoko, and Mihoshi walked over to Ryo-ohki, both officers trying to warm the two Hakubi's up.

            Ayeka only went back to the house to get another bandage for Ryoko's wrist.

            The summoner's eyes were staring cold at the ground, not trying to help in holding the towel onto her shoulders. Kiyone was working hard, rubbing up and down her arms and her back, the temperature in her body rising once again. She could tell the officer was nervous, very much so. Ryoko couldn't forget that Kiyone was an officer and she was-used to be a wanted criminal. But the statue of limitations was long past, but people would still hate her and fear the mention of her name around several different galaxies, especially the Jurian quadrant, though they hid it well. She shrank away when Tenchi put a hand on her shoulder, a shiver of warmth running up her spine when she felt it.

            Hunching over, the pirate threw up again, shivering once more. Her eyes were drained, there was no more strength to cry. The only thing she did against her boy's will was lean onto the boy, no sob or choke emitting. Ayeka came back out of the house and scurried over to the two, holding out a length of bandage. "...Ryoko, let me see your wrist," Tenchi's soft, warm voice invaded the silence, and she obediently held up her hand without a seconds thought.

            The cloth wrapped around her arm was now smeared in blood, the mixture of water making it a brownish red. He tentatively unwrapped the dirty cloth, casting aside, and began wrapping the clean one onto the naked woman's wrist. A soft, drizzle of rain had now began to drop from the heaven's, pelting the people outside. The half breed helped her up, but stopped when she let out a yelp of pain and collapsed back to the ground, grabbing at her stomach.

            The boy knelt back down and asked what was wrong, though he knew he wouldn't get a straight answer. The summoner didn't answer, but vomited again, using her other hand to balance herself when her insides were strained. Sasami and Ryo leaned onto each other, balancing the other as the humanoid had her arm draped on the young girls back, since she was too exausted to move anything much. They both watched helplessly as the pirate continued to vomit on the ground, painful yelps escaping her mouth.

            The half breed wouldn't give up, he put an arm around her shoulder and another behind her knee caps, cradling her. Not a single tint of red appeared on the successor's face when some parts of the towel failed to cover up parts of Ryoko's skin. He rushed back to the house, feeling her temperature drop against the heat of his skin. Kiyone picked up the clothing they had left on the ground and ran off with them, Mihoshi following close behind.

            Tenchi ran into the house and set the sick woman on the couch where she had singed it before. Getting another blanket, he wrapped it around her shivering form, hoping to warm her up some. The summoner's feature's looked dazed, and by the pale look on her face, she still felt sick to her stomach. The room was silent, no one dared to break it either unless provoked. The teel headed officer set the piece of clothing on the cofee table next to her, then backed away.

            Ayeka had Ryo-ohki and Sasami leaning onto her, so the elder princess had her hands full trying to balance herself. Strangely enough, she didn't feel jealous of Tenchi's affection being directed towards Ryoko.

            The boy kept his hand around the pirate's shoulders, trying to keep her balanced along with keeping her warm. Yes, she smelled like barf, but that didn't matter to him right now. Her pale face scared him, it was like she was the living dead.

***

            Washu managed to open her eyes with the newfound energy Ryo-ohki had transmitted to her. And for the first time, noticed that she was in a chapel, much like the Soja's. The pain was still there, but much of it had subsided. Hours, days might have passed since she last felt concious enough to see anything. Mitis had steered clear from here, her guess was that he wanted to have some fun before he killed her.

            She didn't fear the killing part; not at all.

            It was Ryoko she was worried about.

            Her daughter had seen all the things he had done to her, slap her, punch her, even gash her wound even more. But it seemed he wasn't interested in the idea of ravaging her body...yet. She thanked the high heavens he hadn't done that while her link with the pirate was still very much alive.

            Washu had shut it off, not wanting her to see anything more or experience the pain that was rightfully hers. But she knew the block would not last under this condition. If he continued to beat her the way he did today, the block would shatter, and all her memories would fly like a broken dam into Ryoko's mind. If there was one flaw in the mental connection it was that one.

            So she would be patient, waiting until her saviors came to rescue her.

***

            The summoner was quiet, obviously trying to shove the thought of vomiting out of her weakened mind. She was unaware of her surroundings, only concentrating on the fact of what Mitis did to her mother. Aches and cramps had been and gone right through the pirate, leaving her shocked as before. Ryoko had collapsed by the pond because she felt Mitis punching Washu's gut, mixed with the rage she felt, the results were not pretty.

            She was aware of the fact that Washu had completely blocked the link, the scientist had obviously not wanted her to see anymore of her torture.

            The cyan haired pirate felt a reassuring shake on her shoulder, and her amber eyes turned to face Tenchi's confident brown. "I'm sure everything will be fine, Ryoko," he muttered quietly, fighting down a shudder when her cold eyes laid themselves on his. It was the pirate who shuddered, "...No they won't, Tenchi. I've seen what he's done to her." her shaky voice croaked out, surprising them all. The prince slumped, his eyebrows arching into a twisted look of pity, "I'm sorry... Why don't we get you dressed and have a good sleep? It'll make you feel better, and then we can go get Washu tomorrow. Does that sound okay?" he doubted his own words.

            Ryoko nodded, fighting down another urge to throw up. "...All right. Lemme get dressed...... Oh.. Damn." Tenchi stared at her, "What?"

            "My power's drained. I can't phase this second."

            Ayeka's voice popped up, "I've lent you some clothes, Ryoko. They're on the table," the princess muttered, motioning toward the table, keeping Sasami and Ryo-ohki balanced at the same time. Needless to say, she was expecting a harsh comment.

            "Oh... Okay, thanks Ayeka."

            The elder princess looked shocked.

            The pirate forced herself up, almost hunching over and barfing again. "Hey now... Are you perverts or are you gonna let me change?" Tenchi immediatly blushed, and rushed out of the room before he got a nosebleed. Kiyone and Mihoshi walked to their rooms, leaving a bucket in case Ryoko had to vomit again. Ayeka led Sasami out, leaving Ryo to help with the pale summoner.

            The cyan haired woman let the blankets fall, shivering once more when the air hit her. The humanoid helped Ryoko slip on the "un-pink" kimono, thanking god that it wasn't that certain color, or the pirate would have freaked. It turned out to ba a kind of play clothing, the sort that Ayeka would never wear. They both wondered where she got it, but shrugged it off. Ryoko stumbled over to the bucket, hunching over and throwing up again, trying to get it all out instead of in periods.

            Her sister helped her balance herself, heeping the two locks of hair out of the summoner's face as she wretched. Tenchi skidded back into the room, holding what looked like a pill. The half breed walked over to her, kneeling onto his knees and waiting until she had a chance to look at him. Five minutes passed and then she stopped, leaning back and collapsing onto her buckled knees in exaustion. "...Here, take this. Washu made it, she gave it to me when I was sick," he handed her the pill and a bottle of water, "She said it'll rest your insides." the pirate popped it in her mouth and gulped it down with a wiff of water, she thanked him quietly and thought of a place to sleep, since she couldn't very well phase to the rafters or the roof.

            "So... Where do I sleep, Tenchi?" she asked quietly, rubbing up and down her cold arms. He blushed again, noticing he had never actually given her a room, "Well...I...uh... What about the couch?" she shook her head, "Nuh uh, too noisy. But, beggars can't be choosers." she grabbed a blanket and headed toward the couch.

            Tenchi kept his head hung low in defeat, he sure as hell didn't want her in his room, Ayeka would throw a fit for a month through. "Sorry Ryoko... Ayeka'd throw a fit if I let you-"

            "Sleep in your room? I know. It's fine right here, not like I'm not used to sleeping like this." the summoner curled up into a ball on the couch and pretended to go asleep. Ryo walked over and slept on the other couch, also pretending.

            "...All right. Night Ryoko, see you in the morning," the half breed walked up the stairs.

            The pirate waited until she heard the click of his door to fling off the blankets. **C'mon, Ryo. We're gonna get mom. the humanoid opened her golden eyes and stared in shock at Ryoko, ****Are you INSANE?! You're sick, Ryoko! You need to wait! Ryoko glowered at Ryo-ohki, ****We're going. This isn't their fight. Yes, I feel sick, but the medicine should kick in, let's go! Or do I have to drag you? I ain't gonna control you. the humanoid sighed, knowing she couldn't change the stubborn woman's mind, ****Just one thing, Ryoko. Write a note, they're gonna be worried sick about you. **

            "Got it covered." she whispered, holding up a note with Japanese handwriting on it. The pirate set it on the table and walked outside, closely followed by Ryo.

            They walked back to the pond, way out of earshot of the people to hear the cabbit's meowing. Ryo-ohki beamed her mistress up, the breeze around her cooling the hard surface that was called the outer body. Using half her energy, she rejuvinated Ryoko so that the pirate could use her powers. The summoner noticed this, and thanked the cabbit before they sped off into space, leaving the blue planet behind.

            "All right, Ryo-ohki. Cover yourself in Masu cells, we don't want to be caught just yet, all right?" a meow was her only responce, and then she saw a pale yellow overlap her cencors. Ryoko phased the clothing Ayeka had given her, the clothes making their way back to the planet Earth, and the red and black battle clothes appeared around her, a black tatoo marking the left side of her face. The bandage was now wrapped underneath her battle armor, but the blood was making a faint mark where the gem was supposed to be.

            "Ryo, lower the power of your gems. I'll do it too," the summoner concentrated, trying desperatly to shove the power of the fake gem down, it was the only way Mitis could detect them now.

***

            Washu felt a presence, a presence she knew all too well.

            '_No! Stay BACK Ryoko! Stay away! STAY AWAY!!!'_

_            Yet the scientist would not open the link again, also knowing that she'd make the pirate collapse in pain again. The redhead silently cursed herself as she began to vomit in disgust again, her stomach muscles aching even more. Blood sputtered out of her mouth as she continued to wretch, not even wanting to look at the mess she'd made on the floor. In her being concious, she'd also realised she was in a big glass oval, her being encased like an animal inside. Her guess was as good as the next to know how much she had filled on the ground._

            She stayed silent, not wanting another beating from "him."

            It was pathetic really.

            Her gem powers would not work here.

            But that was inpossible to do.

            Unless...

***

            The crystal-like spaceship neared the humongous one, the one closely resembling the Soja had made no mive to suggest that they knew they were even there. Ryo-ohki worked silently, keeping around two-thousand meters away on the command of the weakened Ryoko. Their power had completely decreased, making it almost impossible for the two to even know they were with each other.

            Ryoko was tense inside the ship, sitting quietly in the cushioned pilot's seat, hoping the medicine would work its' magic soon. The summoner still would very much like to barf by the movement of the ship, but forced it down. "Just keep this distance and keep putting masu cells over you until I can get over this, the medicine shouldn't take much longer." Was all she said over the course of a few hours. The sun was behind them, and by looking at the Earth she could tell it was about midnight in Okayama, nearing one a.m.

            The pirate kept to her seat, apt on rescueing her mother. The only question was how.

            Sasami woke up from another dream, out of practice shoving a scream down her throat. Tsunami had told her that Ryoko had gone into space, but the girl was infuriated by the summoner's stupidity. 'How _could she?! She's sick! That baka...' the princess knew she wasn't going to get any sleep, so she forced herself to her feet and walked downstairs, planning on making a few sandwhiches to catch up on her missed dinner._

            In the kitchen, she noticed a note stuck on the fridge, and Sasami tore it down, reading it.

_Sorry for leaving you guys. I couldn't leave mom like that. If you want to catch up, use Kiyone's spaceship, I got it out of subspace for ya. Sasami, if you're reading this, sorry for being stupid. Blame it on my damned concious, guilt, ya know? Anyways, real sorry. I'll be seeing ya._

_Ryouko Hakubi_

_P.S: Ayeka's clothes are on the couch._

            Sasami slammed it back on the fridge, almost consumed by rage. Tears welled up in her eyes as she plopped into a chair, hunching over and burying herself in her arms, trying to hide from the truth.

            Ryoko slept in the chair, exaustion from being sick of rage and pain now getting to her. The spaceship called Ryo-ohki had rested itself on the moon's surface, rejuvinating its' lost energy for the time being. So far, they had successfully kept themselves hidden, keeping their energy low and the masu cells planting themselve over the top layer of Ryo.

            The sun now telling the both of them it was almost dawn on the blue planet, Ryoko forced herself to stay awake, her sick spell now gone because of the medicine.

            The crystalized space-ship put another thin layer of masu cells over the top of them, and heaved itself off the hunk of rock.

            "Okay, Ryo, let's go get mom. You ready?"

            "_Myaaaa!!!"_

_            They sped off._

***

            The scientist was crying, keeping the sobs choked up.

            _'Ryoko... You don't know what you're getting yourself into. Please go. Don't come for me, forget about me. Go save yourself, just don't throw your life away. Don't. You're Ryoko the space pirate! Why would you care about saving me?! Why are you coming to get me?! You're throwing away you're life! Don't come! Don't! Please don't! You never cared before, so why now?! Why the sudden change?! You're Ryoko Hakubi! You have to stay alive and marry Tenchi! I know he picked you! I know it! Don't throw you're life away, Ryoko! You have a full 15,000 years to go! You have to live as old as me! Devil Caller! Go back to the Earth! You are Ryoko! The space pirate! The devil caller!_

_            My daughter...'_

_            Washu stared down at the ground, and cried._

***

            Ryoko held the worn out cabbit in her arms as she walked through the hallways, knowing which ways to go because it looked like the ship mimicked the Soja's. Ryo-ohki had passed out when she beamed them both onto the ship, most likely caused by giving the summoner a jump start in energy, cloaking themselves in masu cells before they touched the ship, flying the distance there, and also keeping her energy down. Ryoko had to say, that had to be tiring.

            She walked down the hallways silently, glad that the haunting organ wasn't playing, or she would have lost a nerve. Instead she heard very faint sobs, and quickened her pace in the direction she heard them from. She fought the urge down to go to the control room and beat the living shit out of Mitis, or so he calls himself. The sobbing grew, but only a little.

            She continued forth, almost blasting a wall or two to get to her if she had not reminded herself that it would appear on the censors. The sobbing suddenly stopped as Ryoko appeared in a large room. The pirate looked around herself, notifying that the place held a very much likeness for the Soja. 

            She heard a choke.

            The summoner looked up, then gaped at what was hanging. She forced down another urge to scream at the sight of her mother. Washu had purple marks all over her legs and skin, the gash on her stomach had widened maybe an inch or two, the scientist had a purple mark stamped on her left cheek, where a small inprint of a ring had made itself there. The gash on the redheads forehead had stopped bleeding, but the trails of crusted blood were enough to tell the woman that she'd lost a ton of blood and food, judging by the color of the liquid that would be about knee-high if she stood in it in the glass case.

            Her amber eyes looked in fear that the ropes binding her mother had maybe shocked her as well, judging by the electro boxes sealing onto the roof, high above any normal persons eyeshot. The pirate rushed to the case, and nearly fell dead when a voice reverberated throughout the room, "Ah, ah, ah! I will not permit you to touch Washu." Ryoko turned around and saw Mitis grinning wickedly at her, waving her invention around playfully, "Oh? Did I touch a soft spot? I'm _so sorry. But... If you truly want to help your mother, then grant me the honor of fighting the woman my father kept hostile for 5,000 years."_

            "You're just as bad as your father, bastard," the summoner mumbled, "You're nothing more than a shadow."

            "Very good, Ryoko! I see he beat some sense into that thick skull of yours after all!" he cried out, flinging the invention into subspace as the his true self appeared, his voice much deeper like it had been three weeks ago, "Well then? Do I have the honor?"

            "_Bastard," she repeated stubbornly, making sure that Ryo had been flung out of sight before clenching her fists in anger._

            "You should watch that tongue of yours, it could get you hurt someday!" Mitis called, disappearing and reappearing in front of Ryoko, his green sword burning the tip of her chin, _"I'll ask you one more tim. Do I have the honor?"_

_            "There's no honor in fighting a person like myself."_

            "_Wrong." he slapped her with his gloved hand, sending her spit to the floor as she remained calm, though her insides were having histerics._

            '_What do I do? What do I do? I'm an idiot, I should have brought Tenchi. No, this isn't his fight, that slap didn't even hurt. He's holding back.' _

            "_Now answer me correctly," he hissed, pointing the edge of his sword back to her chin._

            "Yes, you may have the honor. _OF EATING THIS YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!!" Ryoko cried out, blasting his stomach until it went through, blood spurting from the energy as it collided with the wall. She blasted until she could no longer feel her hands._

            The orange energy lingered in the room, the smell of burnt cement filling the area. Mitis stood there, his sword still drawn

            He applauded.

            "Nice one. I din't think you'd pull that one on me, since I remind you so much of Kagato,"

            She glared, knowing she'd been a fool to think that'd done him in.

            "Are you ready for a real fight?"

            Before she could answer, the pirate had brought up her energy sword and blocked the blow he delivered as he sailed through the air and put all his weight into it. The hole in his stomach had vanished.

            The summoner made sure Ryo was till out of there before using her other hand to blast him off, sending him flying through the air like a birdie.

            Phasing away before his sword was thrown at her, the putrid green sword embedded itself onto the glass case, making a deep hole in it. "Clever," Mitis mumbled, pulling his sword out as the fluids of blood and such filtered out onto the floor. To her surprise, he cleaved the case in half, the shards falling to the ground in a heap. Ryoko hopped out of the way as Mitis blasted her again, making a searing hole in the ground.

            The two warriors stood ten feet from each other, both glaring daggers at each other.

            Ryoko kept her sword up, though she was having trouble keeping her legs straight after being sick like that. The summoner floated, before her knees buckled beneath her. Her thoughts were distracted.

            Big mistake.

            Mitis had teleported behind her and now held the sword to her neck bone, the skin blistering around it as it neared. "Don't move or I'll shove it through your neck, go it?" he hissed quietly, only audible to Ryoko's ears.

            He felt someone kick his head, sending him twenty feet away from her.

            Ryoko turned around and saw Ryo, half exhausted yet still ready to fight. "Thanks, I needed that," the pirate mumbled to her sister, getting ready to face another attack.

            They heard a loud shriek behind them.

            Ryoko and Ryo-ohki turned and saw to their horror that Mitis was gripping Washu's head, his energy sword near her neck. "You move and I'll kill her," he said, in a very serious tone.

            "Let go of your weapons," he commanded, motioning towards Ryoko's sword.

            The sword stayed in place.

            "Do you favor your mother's life?"

            Ryoko was staring in shock.

            "Do it now!"

            The pirate clenched the sword harder.

            "Now!!!" Mitis cried, slapping the scientist.

            "_DON'T HURT HER!!!" Ryoko cried out, blinking back the tears._

            "Let go of your sword then!"

            He slapped Washu again.

            "_STOP IT!!! YOU WON'T HARM HER MITISSSS!!!!!!!!!"_

_            Three green marks appeared on her forehead._

**Author's Notes: Yay! You hate cliffhangers? I do too. But... Too bad! HAHAHAHAA!!!!! The three green marks are referring to the goddess looking picture of Ryoko, is you haven't seen it. Go look for it. Sorry if it was a little fast.**


	7. Your Crutch is Dying...

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! And all its' characters belong to Pioneer LDCA.

_The factory was very fine_

_He wished it all the modern speed._

_Yet, after all, 'twas not divine._

_That is to say, 'twas not a church._

_He never would assume that he'd_

_Be any institution's need._

_But he said then and still would say,_

_If there should ever come a day_

_When industry seemed like to die_

_Because he left it in the lurch,_

_(Part seven of 'A Lone Striker' by Robert Frost)_

**_Author's Notes: IMPORTANT!!! NOTICE!!! All right, now that I've got your attention I need you to listen. Right now I am VERY pissed at my comp. Want to know why? Because I had this chapter done, I went to save it and the whole damn thing crashed!!! And you know what happened after that?! IT ERASED ITSELF!!! Now I have to write it over again because there is no possible way to recover this lost data. So if the chapter does not seem to be as good as the others, blame it on my computer (I REALLY wanna kick it right now). (kicks it) :P Take that!_**

**All Alone (part seven)**

                Silver hair flowed, the woman standing on the ground while the cement underneath her feet shattered. The cement then transformed into a void of blackness, showing the Earth and the moon below them, but the air around them seemed to hold itself. There had to be a barrier around it. The woman's two wrist's glowed, along with her neck, and a few seconds later, three golden plates appeared with tiny holes in them embedded themselves into her skin. The holes were filled by another three glowing, blood red gems, which had little waves of power emitting from them. Her eyes half-closed, and the amber was suddenly turned to a bright blue, the color engulfing her entire eyeballs. The color of her battle clothing transformed from red and black to blue and white, her hair growing an inch longer. 

                A woman nearby was hanging limply in the air by her bruised legs and wrists. The woman's red hair was spiky and was a little messy than what she would claim to be normal. Her emerald eyes watched as the being that was her daughter screamed while the newfound energy surged through her. The woman hanging had her neck glowing, the oval like true-gem disappearing, the black wring it had been holding falling away, then was replaced by a new, more circular gem. The pain seemed to subside.

                That lasted for a few seconds though.

                Screaming loudly, lurching forward and screaming louder because the bonds that held her were holding tightly.  Pain erupted through her as blood sprayed out of her mouth for a second. As quick as it had come, the pain subsided a little, the redhead falling unconscious from such a change in her emotions. Her red hair tapped her sore skin tenderly as her head hung over, the woman's eyes stayed shut.

                A man floating in the air was deflecting energy shots that seemed to be coming from the fallen form of Washu. Dodging them effortlessly, though having to acquire a great amount of speed he floated away from the blasts. Using his sword, he knocked away another blast sent to him. He noted, however, that the blasts seemed to be coming from Washu's neck, where a single red dot was glowing madly. Hiding behind a column, he glanced down where Ryo was shielding her eyes from the summoner's power burst. Her forehead, too, was glowing. 

                The pirate let this one emotion of rage consume her, devour her. She was through.

                Ryoko was through with having her emotions toyed with. She was finished with being treated like a rag doll. And she was done and had with not having a mother to cry onto. The three dots glowed fiercer, reminding the person who might have been looking of putrid, vomit, throw-up; whatever you earthlings wanted to call it. The light seemed to fade for a second, but was then again pierced by her loud scream, light erupting from her body. Images flowed fluently into her mind as she continued to scream

                _Memories…_

_*** _

_                A baby was lying in the middle of a tube, her amber eyes and shortened hair standing out in the darkness around it. Failing to see a person, it cried out. She screamed louder when her cries echoed on the walls and traveled back to her sensitive ears. Rolling over, not knowing how to crawl yet, the baby cried out some more when it's stomach and arms clashed against the walls. She screamed until her breath was no more, then returned to kicking and punching the air around herself. A woman walked up to the tube, with spiky red hair held up in a purple bandana sort of thing._

_                She was examining her._

_                The tube around the baby went down, and the woman carefully picked up the worn out baby. Cradling her gently, the woman rocked side to side, the height around the two going up and down, then woman's face appearance slightly changing each time. The baby eyed her face curiously, and giggled. Reaching up, the baby toyed with the woman's face, laughing louder when she started to nip at them. Pulling her fingers back, the baby felt a watery substance hit her forehead. Crossing her eyes, her small arms reached up, then retreated when the water tapped her dry fingers. Yawning, the baby curled up and buried her face into the woman's chest, hearing a couple words before she fell asleep entirely._

_                "Go to sleep, my Little Ryoko…"_

_*** _

_                An overweight man and a red robot were standing silently on a floating red thingermijigger The red floating thing crossing at slow speed over a blue river. The robot had a small, round head, a thin yellow line down the middle of it, its' arms and legs just big, red circular things. The sight before them could be called a holy place, if you looked at it right. They floated for another ten minutes and soon arrived at a docking place. The fat man walked ahead of the silent robot, only to be stopped by another red, floating thing. 'State your name, and reason for being here.'_

_                The man sighed, the robot noted. "Mikish Clay, I wish to speak to D3 and Lady Tokimi," the robot twirled around the both of them, then paused, 'Who is that other being?' Clay grunted, "My marionette, its' name is Zero," the screen flashed on the floating things' so called face, 'Access granted, Lord D3 and Lady Tokimi have been expecting you,' it buzzed off. "Come along, Zero," Dr. Clay muttered, motioning his hand towards the now opening doors. "Sorry Master," it replied, and quickly scurried toward him._

_                They appeared in a dark room, Zero noticing they had stepped into a section of subspace. The man named Clay walked up to a patio looking thing, and bowed to his knees as an image of an old man appeared before him. Dr. Clay seemed to shudder under the demi-god's gaze._

_                "What is your reason for being here?" he seemed to mutter, but his mouth made no movement whatsoever._

_                "I bring important news. I must speak to the Lady Tokimi."_

_                The god's eyes narrowed, "Whatever you may have I will tell her. She is not needed in your presence."_

_                Clay seemed frantic, "But I bring important news! I must tell the Lady myself!"_

_                "…Very well…" D3 closed his eyes for a second, the gem on his forehead glowing a faint red._

_                Mikish kept his head bent over, his eight curls he calls a beard leaning toward the ground as a more feminine, cat-like voice boomed out, "Does this news have anything to do with Washu?"_

_                The robot watched as its' master and his Lady conversed. Tokimi's voice sent shudders down its' robotic back, and Zero tried to force them down._

_                A robot such as itself does not own feelings such as fear._

_                A few minutes went by and the two were teleported outside and back onto their thingermijigger. Zero continued to rub up and down its' arms. "Zero… You're awfully quiet…" Clay muttered, not turning his gaze from the waters. "I am… Sorry Master… The Lady… Her presence makes me feel…afraid…" the Doctor turned his gaze and looked straight at his marionette, "That is impossible! A marionette such as yourself does not own feelings such as fear!"_

_                Zero bowed her head, "Yes, I know Master… But the Lady… Even though she was present right there in front of us her very existence is impossible,"_

_*** _

_                Ryoko clutched at her head, images flowing into her brain at an enormous amount. Even the Zero side of her was surprised to see the block that held her memories of Lady Tokimi was gone. The pirate screamed again, unleashing one last wave of light, snapping the bonds that held her mother, and sent the scientist reeling to the ground, only to be caught by Ryo. The summoner stopped screaming, and the power went away, leaving the transformation complete._

                Three red gems were glowing on her wrists and neck.

                In her rage, the pirate had stolen the other gem off the Tenchi-ken. She knew she could have done it before, but the summoner wanted the boy named Tenchi to give them to her. Facing Mitis, she drew an energy sword, this one bigger and blood red, "_You… I will never forgive you for what you've done. Never!" she cried out, and threw him into a nearby column. Washu watched in a surprised manner. __'Ryoko… She remembers! My Little Ryoko remembers!!!' the scientist passed out into Ryo's protective arms._

                The summoner was so fast that by the time the man hit the wall, she was in front of him, sword drawn to his chin. Mitis knew it was hopeless to use his sword now, and he let it disappear into thin air. He smiled.

                _Ah… The Lady will be pleased she has awakened her powers. I thought it was a lie when Tokimi said that her mother was a goddess. But no… I was foolish. Her powers prove that._

_                Another voice racked into his brain…_

                _You are FOOLISH!!! The Lady will NOT be pleased! Haven't you noticed she took great care in avoiding awakening hers or Washu's? Did you?! The being called Ryoko is a half goddess, which can, in some cases, be STRONGER than a true one. She is also powered by her other half, being half Deltan and Masu helps her too. When Washu gave up her goddess bio, she SPECIFICALLY became a Deltan because if this ever happened, her child would be more powerful than herself! Do you get it NOW?!_

_                Mitis phased from beneath her grasp, appearing behind his sister and blasting._

                His eyes widened when he saw light cutting the darkness.

                Ryoko was facing him, the tattoo on the side of her face glowing white and four white wings around her.

                On in her front, one on each side, and another on the back. Four smaller ones appeared between them, and two tinier ones appeared on the top and bottom of her.

                Mitis blasted another, although he knew it was hopeless. The blast deflected easily off the shield and flew off in another direction, shattering when it crashed into the cement column. Ryoko's eyes closed for a second, a serene look planted itself on her face. A second later, the summoner was upon Mitis, seeing terror well up like jets in his eyes. Smiling wickedly, she pressed harder, also seeing he was suppressing most of the terror now exploding within him.

                Ryo watched silently as her sister battled it out with their enemy. She was well hidden behind a column, and held her mother's limp body protectively. Trying to get used to having a fake gem, she closed her eyes, trying to block out all disturbances. A flash of red caught her attention beneath her, glancing down, her eyes widened in shock as a ship approached.

                _Yagami…_

_                Ryoko pressed harder, feeling his arms failing him greatly._

                Mitis tried to search for words. '_Oh! Shit! Shit-shit! My arms! Goddammit!!! What now, what now?! Ergh… I-I know!' using the last strength remaining in his tired arms, he shoved her away, not pausing a moment to shout what he wanted to say, "__Tugda icomea shumis yare!!" Ryoko's eyes widened at the sound of the Deltan tongue. Now remembering what had happened before she was abducted, she searched through her brain and brought the meaning out, "__Come to me, my Lady!!" what the hell did he mean by that? The answer was quickly given._

                Mitis and his clothes transformed, his clothing matching that of Tenchi's Jurian armor but blood red instead of green and purple. One, single, green tattoo appeared on his forehead and trailed down to his cheek, covering the rest of his neck. His eyes blazed an unnatural red that emitted a glow not unlike her own blue glow. A putrid green sword came into his grasp, and he readied his position. 

                Concentrating harder, the pirate lunged herself at the insane man, sparks flying when the two swords clashed. The half-goddess glared straight into his heartless eyes.

                She saw that Mitis was not really Mitis anymore.

                She pushed with all her weight and slowly shoved him into a nearby column, the cement melting when his skin hit it. Both were equal in strength at the present time.

                That would soon change.

                "Ryoko!" a masculine voice called out, distracting the attacking pirate. The man named Tenchi watched in horror as Mitis batted her away easily in her lost track of concentration. The man slapped her hard, sending the tyrant flying back into the wall. Tenchi mentally cursed himself for distracting the pirate. The half-goddess was immediately slammed into a column, the cement melting underneath her body. The young man glanced at her, and arched his brow at her appearance.

                _'Is THAT Ryoko? She looks all goddessy and stuff… Wait a sec… Where's Ryo-ohki and Washu? They must be around here somewhere! Ah… First things first. Eh-AHHH!!!!' Tenchi felt a sudden rush of heat in front of him as an explosion exploded in front of him. _

                The blast never made contact.

                Unshielding his eyes, the dark haired man stared in disbelief at the sight in front of him.

                Ryoko had ten light hawk wings in front of her, all different sizes.

                "Tenchi… Get out of here. This is my fight.  I need to do this myself," her voice echoed, it sounded vaguely familiar.

                "Tsunami! Ryoko! You sound like Tsunami!" he cried out, pointing at her. Her glowing eyes turned to him, scaring him, "…I know Tenchi." His mouth dropped, "S-So, that means… T-That you're a-a-a…" he trailed off. "A goddess. Sorta. I'm half. Now get the hell outta here before I blast you," her hand turned on him, the other maintaining the wings. A faint blast conjured to her fingertips. A faint trace of guilt raced across her face as the boy ran away, giving her a serious look before disappearing back into the other room. She turned her attention back to Mitis, her face turned into a glare.

                The man floated down to her level, his red sword placed in front of him, his hand gripping it firmly. He spoke, in a cat-like voice the Zero part of her remembered.

                "_Ryoko… Come to me. I will let Washu go if you come with me…"_

_                Zero didn't fall for it, _

                _Don't listen Ryoko! Her name is Tokimi-she's the goddess of War and such- she just wants you under control like Kagato! If you go, Washu will definitely die, not because of her wounds, because of you! If you go, she'll go insane!!!_

_                The pirate listened. She pulled her sword up and faced her opponent, "I ain't falling for it." Mitis's face contorted with an anger that was not his own. "Fine.. So be it. You have sealed your fate fighting with a goddess!" he flew at her._

                They exchanged blows as Tenchi, Ayeka, Kiyone, and Mihoshi watched from the other room quietly. "Damn! Dammit! Why won't she let us help?! It's obvious she can't defeat him on her own turf like that!" Tenchi cried, banging a nearby wall. Ayeka watched him pitifully, then stared at Ryoko, "I don't know, Tenchi… I mean, look at her. She's moving so fast I can barely keep my eyes on her, and her eyes… They're glowing…"

                _That's right, Princess Ayeka._

_                All four of them looked around, only three of them knowing whom it was. "Tsunami?" Mihoshi asked dumbly, scratching her head._

                _Yes…_

_                "What's going on?!" Tenchi cried out, pointing to where they were fighting, where a barrier was sealing them away._

                _Tenchi.. Do not be frustrated. Ryoko feels she has to do this on her own, so let her. She is very strong, more so than I._

_                "Wha-? That's impossible! Don't speak madness!" Ayeka cried, her arms flailing._

                _Ah, but it is the truth Ayeka. _

_                "But-But-But-But how?! That's almost impossible! We Jurians have the Light Hawk Wings!"_

                _Yes, we do. Princess Ayeka. Have you heard of a power greater than the Jurians? Before us?_

_                "…No…" her voice sounded weak, as if she knew she was lying._

                _Yes you do. Now, have you heard of the Deltans at least?_

_                "Yes, but my tutors always seemed apt on avoiding the subject, like they didn't want me to know something…" Ayeka trailed off. "Wait a second. Deltans? I've heard of a few that are A1 class criminals in the galaxy police headquarters!" Kiyone said, pulling out a picture of one._

                _Very good Officer Kiyone. The Deltans were a race of immense power. They were the greatest power in the universe before Jurians came along and did what they did._

_                "What did they do?! And what does this have to do with Ryoko and her goddess like nature?!" Tenchi called out, running up to the image of Tsunami and scrunching his fists._

                _It has to do with a lot, Tenchi. Ryoko is a half-goddess, I told her that in her transformation a few minutes ago._

_                Everyone wore a shocked look, even Tenchi, who had heard it from Ryoko. "Uh… Uh… That's absurd! If Ryoko's a half-goddess, that means that Masu is a god?" Ayeka shrieked, glaring at the goddess. The sound of quiet laughter rang out._

                _You have that backwards Ayeka. Washu is the goddess._

_                Ayeka's jaw dropped to the floor. Tenchi was bug-eyed, and Kiyone was blushing. "You mean that… We have had __two goddesses in our house and we didn't know it?!" Tenchi whispered, his eyes still too big._

                _Yes, you have had two goddesses in your house. Oh… the Kodak moments… You should see the look on your faces! Ahem, well, they are goddesses but they don't know it, except for Ryoko._

_                "So… She can handle herself?" Mihoshi asked, sounding a bit saddened. Tsunami's voice suddenly turned serious._

                _No. Ryoko alone can defeat Karagi, but with the power of my sister helping him, she can beat him, but it's a very slim chance._

_                 "Karagi? I thought his name was Mitis," Kiyone mumbled._

                _True, he names himself Mitis, only because if  he revealed his true name to Ryoko, she would have remembered quicker than this. Kagato was his father._

_                They were speechless._

                _Kagato-or rather-Onakna, meaning power hungry in Deltan, created Karagi to serve as a spy to watch over Ryoko on her missions. What Ryoko didn't know while he was his partner was that Karagi is her brother, half, she figured it out while she was attacking Jurai and he fled in the Tiapora._

                "But... If Mitis-er-Karagi is her brother, then why is he so eager to beat her up and take Washu and her with him?" Tenchi asked, concern etching into his serious face.

                _You see Tenchi, he is now in liege with Tokimi that is why he fled in the Tiapora all those years ago. Kagato is the creation of D3 and Tokimi._

_                "C-Creation?!"_

                _You heard me right. Creation. They created her just like the way they created the former human beings. They created him to serve as a Destiny-swerver._

_                "Destiny-Swerver? I thought they were only stories!" Ayeka said, her hands clenched in disbelief._

                _It is no story. For the rest of you, especially Tenchi, a Destiny-Swerver is a person said to be sent by the gods to defy fate. Tokimi chose Kagato to get Ryoko and make her become his slave, though Kagato himself didn't know he was being half-controlled. Back on the subject of Deltans. When Washu gave up her mortality, she chose to be Deltan, because that was the race that she herself created. Meaning that Ryoko is half-Deltan._

_                "No! That cannot be true! That cannot!" the princess shrieked, clutching at her head._

                Ryoko parried the sword flung at her, another lock of hair falling to the floor.

                "Ayeka? What's the matter?" Tenchi asked, catching the woman before she fell.

                Karagi made another sword appear, and charged at the pirate.

                "Deltans.... It can't be true! Ryoko can't be Deltan!"

                Two swords met, sparks radiating with a sick beauty by the two fighters.

                Mihoshi watched helplessly as Ayeka continued to deny what a goddess had said, Kiyone was utterly surprised that Tsunami had shown up in front of them.

                Karagi slashed the pirate away, both of them having icy glares meant to kill toward each other.

                "Tsunami! What is a Deltan? Why is it making her so upset?!" Tenchi asked, holding the fallen woman as he stared at Tsunami.

                _Tenchi... A Deltan is a race. A race that the Jurians killed. The band of pirates that began the Jurai Empire came together and formed a plan. They invaded Deltan territory and killed many people. They treated the Deltans much like your Earth's "holocaust." Washu fought hard to keep it secret from Ryoko, because her foster parents were both killed in the act. May they both rest in peace. Ayeka is in pain because she hates what her ancestors did, she hates her blood because of it. Ayeka was so afraid that when she became Queen, that she might lead an attack much like they did. Her father found out, and beat it out of her. She is in pain because she remembers._

_                Two warriors flung blasts toward the other, the purple and orange canceling each other out as the crashed together._

                Tenchi stared at Tsunami in disbelief, then averted her gaze and stared at Ayeka, whom was still clutching at her head. The goddess watched them quietly, then listened as Tenchi cried out at her, "Why did you let them?! Why did you let the Jurians kill them?!"

                Ryoko floated in the air defiantly, her breath slightly shaken.

                _I couldn't Tenchi. They hadn't been tapped enough into their power. Even the Jurians now haven't realized the true potential of their power. I would have if I could have. But even as a goddess I can't control more than a thousand minds at once. Tokimi made sure of that._

_                "You're pretty good... For a half breed that thinks she has a soul," Karagi muttered, his sword pointing in front of him._

                "But why?! Couldn't you have stopped it when one mind started it?!" Tenchi asked, helping Ayeka to her feet.

                _No Tenchi... I am not permitted to control minds, if I do, I corrupt fa-_

_                "To hell with fate! Who cares about fate?! Fate is a myth, a legend, it may not be real. Do you know if it is?" he asked, an elbem of power faintly glowing on his head._

                "I do have a soul, Tokimi. Washu used her ovum," Ryoko stated bluntly, knocking away another blast sent by him.

                _Do not send fate to hell in my presence Tenchi. You curse your very life if you do that. Fate may be real, I may be wrong, the only person who knows for sure is Washu._

_                "Why Washu? Is it Washu everything to you gods? What is she anyway?" the half-breed asked, the elbem growing fiercer._

                "Silly girl. Do you believe what your mother has said?" Karagi asked, inching closer to her.

                _Washu is the median in our world. The Goddess of Chaos. She created this dimension, along with Earth! She is the strongest of us all, the only one that can match her power is Ryoko._

_                "If Ryoko is so strong, then why exactly couldn't she kill Kagato? Wouldn't he be a flea bite compared to her?" Tenchi asked, the rage growing inside him welling up. Ayeka watched in silence, still denying that Ryoko was a Deltan, her family's former enemy._

                Ryoko glared at Karagi, now only feet away. "_Blaca stour kmuty we," he spoke, using her tongue again. "I ain't going to your hell, there is no way," the summoner responded, knocking his sword away and pointing hers to his chin._

                _Kagato would be a fleabite compared to Ryoko. But you see, Washu was afraid of the gems power, seeing the destructive force it could do. She had killed an entire army of pure blood Jurians in mere seconds in the attack-It is known by most as the Attack of Claimance-she was scared, and because of that, she only gave Ryoko one gem, two other phony ones while she kept one, and Ryo-ohki kept one. Onakna didn't know of this, because he was on strict orders just to get Ryoko and seal Washu up if she put up a fight. Tokimi was the one who knew, because she controlled him one night and made him insert flaws into the gems that could permit her to control Ryoko through him. She thought it to be an unbreakable plan. That is-until you came along Tenchi._

_                "What? Why am I different? I'm just a man whose part Jurian, part Earthling." he said, the rage bubble letting out some air._

                Karagi was cornered, Ryoko had a sneer grim on her face, "Hah! How does it feel to be afraid, Tokimi?"

                _Ah, but you are much more than that, Tenchi. You see... You, too, are a Destiny-Swerver._

_                Ayeka's eyes widened at the statement, and she backed up into Mihoshi, who caught her. Tenchi's armor went from basic, to his Light-Hawk clothing, the elbem on his forehead glowing brightly. Tsunami smiled._

                _You have yet to awaken your true power, Tenchi. And if you do, you will regain memory of living in my ship for nine months while your mother was pregnant._

_                Karagi smiled, "How do you know what fear is? Have you experienced true fear yet?" he knocked the sword away. The tyrant named Ryoko glared fiercer, "The hell yes! Try being tortured-raped-and having your being created shoved in your face for 5000 years! Try being locked up in a cave, with no one to talk to except yourself and a person who shares a link with you!"_

                Kiyone watched seriously as Tenchi transformed to a Jurian warrior in front of her eyes. 'A Destiny-Swerver... Tenchi a Destiny-Swerver!' the thought of it brought a tingle to her fingers, 'This is top-secret... No one, not even headquarters can know about this! Ryoko and Washu being Deltan, Tenchi and Kagato being a Destiny-Swerver! People from all over would crowd Tenchi to death! No... The universe isn't ready for this knowledge...'

                _Good thinking, Kiyone. Yes, you cannot tell the universe about this yet, though it's bound to slip out sometime. Tenchi, Ryoko needs you more than ever, be true to your feelings or your bound to lose her to the endless voids of space._

_                Tsunami disappeared._

                Ryoko threw another blast at Mitis, who swiftly blocked it away and countered her with his own.

                Tenchi flung himself at the barrier, shocks of lightning protruding through the boy trying his best to enter. Ryoko looked in fear as the half-breed entered their battleground, which looked more like a trashed dump than a battleground. Her punishment was being thrown to the ground next to him. "Ryoko!" he cried out again, running toward her. "Don't touch me Tenchi!" she shrieked, motioning toward the melting cement beneath her.  Karagi flew to the ground, and the pirate quickly shoved herself up. He grinned snidely, "So the couple is now together? How sweet..." Ryoko's eyes darkened, "...I told you this was my fight, Tenchi..." she muttered, some energy sparks conjuring on her fingertips. "I'm not leaving, Ryoko. I don't care if you blast me to hell, I'm not leaving," a slight sigh escaped her lips, but soon her energy was concentrated on making Lighthawk wings as Karagi neared them. "Don't come near here, Karagi, the odds are stacked against you," she whispered to Tenchi roughly, "Fine, you can fight, but I'd better get the last blow, I want to end this hell I call a life right now," he nodded, and summoned up his sword.

                Ayeka tried running after Tenchi, but was flung back by the energy shield. "Let me in! Let me in! Tsunami! Let me iiiiinnnnn!!!!" she cried, and bounced back a fifth time as she ran toward it. "Ayeka, stop this, you won't be able to help them if you've got a split head! Ayeka, listen to me!" Kiyone cried out, and tried to hold the crazy princess back. Mihoshi stepped in front of her, "Ayeka, Kiyone's right, don't try to kill yourself!" Ayeka seemed beyond reasoning, "No! Karagi will hurt him! Kill him! Lord Tenchiiiiii!!!!"

                Ryoko's hair was now six inches shorter, the locks in front of her ears were gone, it looked to Tenchi that Mitis had thrown his sword a dozen times (she looks like she did in the "Time and Space travels" when she was in the high school, without the locks in front of her ears.) Tenchi deflected another blast and it flew over to a pillar, where the cement collapsed to reveal..

                Ryo holding Washu protectively.

                "Shit! Tenchi, get them out of here!" Ryoko cried out, holding the weight of Karagi with his sword on her own. He rushed over to them and helped Ryo-ohki carry her mother out of the battleground, dodging another blast sent by the villain's hand. Three Lighthawk wings surrounded the boy as he bounded for the exit, half-dragging the humanoid. He handed the tired people through the barrier to Kiyone, who had socked the princess to knock her out. "Keep them there. After this we can all go home and eat dinner-all of us," he ran back.

                Ryoko was slapped across the face again, but managed to hold her ground as something whizzed by her face. A loud scream entered her ears. She looked at Karagi, who had the Lighthawk sword embedded in his stomach, the end protruding through his back. Her gaze went back to Tenchi, who was in the position of just throwing a baseball. He motioned her onward and she proceeded, drawing her sword again and pointing it to him.

                He made a feeble attempt to grasp at a sword, but the color in his eye vanished, his clothing changed back, and the sword disappeared.

                Mitis was Karagi again, Tokimi had left.

                As a last effort, he grasped at his old sword, and despite the pain, ran at her, rage controlling him.

                They exchanged blows, one was to be the victor.

                Ryoko turned around and saw Karagi struggling to stand up.

                He smiled.

                "My... You sure have gotten strong. _ There is no better honor than to fall at the hands of my sister and her beloved." Closing his eyes, his body disappeared, though his face was more peaceful than his father, who had suffered the same fate as himself._

                An eerie silence surrounded them, and Tokimi's voice hissed in the air, "This won't be the last Ryoko! Your crutch is dying!" the voice disappeared.

                The pirate stared at Tenchi, who had a look of hateful emotion planted on his face. Their battle clothing died away, and Ryoko rushed toward the boy, hugging him. "We won Tenchi! We won!" she cried, clutching tighter. Gasps of air escaped him. "_Ry-Ryoko... I-I can't breathe..." she released him, and giggled as he sagged to the ground. Dragging him, she made her way back to the people behind the barrier. Her eyes bulged when she saw the sight, Tenchi falling to the ground as he gasped for the air Ryoko had squeezed out of him. The pirate rushed to the small crowd forming around her mother._

_You crutch is dying._

_                Washu lay motionless, small breaths coming out of her blood-covered lips._

                A smile was planted on her face.

_Your crutch is dying._

_                Ryoko sent some energy into the scientist's limp form, only to see the energy rebuked and sent back at her. The body was rejecting it. Tokimi's snide voice echoed back into her head._

_Your crutch is dying._

_'What did she mean?! What crutch?! Crutches aren't even alive!'_

_Your crutch is dying._

_Your crutch is dying._

_'Shut-up! I don't have a freaking crutch! My leg's not even broken!'_

_Your crutch-_

_'SHUT-UP!!!!!'_

                Ryoko blocked the voice off, and picked up her frail body, she whispered in a weak voice as Mihoshi hoisted Ayeka on her shoulders, "C'mon... Mom needs help... She's lost a lot of blood....." they all understood her concern, Ryo ran ahead and transformed to her crystal-like starship form, a loud meow invading their eardrums. "All right, everyone, Kiyone, you go on ahead and get onto Yagami... I'll meet you at Earth..." Kiyone nodded again, and ran toward the place they crashed into. "Everyone, just put a hand on each of my shoulders and we'll be off." Both her shoulders were glomped in a matter of seconds.

                She phased onto the ship, setting Washu into the pilot's seat and herself standing up. She didn't let the block fall, afraid she might see things in her mother's mind she didn't want to see.

_Your crutch is dying._

_                "Let's go, Ryo-ohki!" she cried, shoving the voice out of her head again._

                The cabbit sped toward Earth, Tiapora lying dead in space.

***

                Three days later...

                Ryoko stayed in the lab, not leaving even for food, no one disturbed her as the pirate worked carefully on her injured mother.

                "Screw this, damn machine isn't working..." she mumbled, watched the wires that had healed Kiyone being blasted back by Washu's unconscious body. The pirate's body was tired, weak, hungry, and thirsty, but she refused to eat or sleep until her mother had at least shown signs of progression.

                This went on for two weeks...

                "Damn, damn, damn, dammit. Damn this stupid thing to hell." she cursed, throwing another handheld device over her shoulder.

_Your crutch is dying._

__

                Ryoko still ignored it, watched her mother silently.

                Washu was not breathing.

                The pirate's eyes widened.

_Your crutch is dying._

_Your crutch is not dying._

                Tears spurted out of the summoner's eyes.

_Your crutch is not dying._

_Your crutch is dead._

_                Washu Hakubi was dead. _

****

****

****

**_Author's Notes: Three words. DON'T HURT MEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! I promise it will not end like this! Dammit. I just spoiled it! Oh well. LAST CHAPTER WILL BE UP SOON!!!!__ I swear by the high heavens that something will happen. I DO I DO!!! Go ahead and flame if you like, I don't care. This chapter is shorter, I know. I'm sorry if it went a little fast, I told you I wrote the whole thing and it erased itself.___**


	8. Ryouko Hakubi's Files

**_Disclaimer: _**_Tenchi Muyo! And All its' characters belong to Pioneer._

_Or even merely seemed to pine_

_For want of his approval, why,_

_Come get him-they knew where to search._

_(Ending of 'A Lone Striker' by Robert Frost)_

**_Author's Notes:_**_ Yes… Sadly, this is the last chapter of 'All Alone' (sniffles) Argh! I promised myself I wouldn't cry! (Cries anyway) It feels like I just started! (That was over two months ago…) I'm thinking about writing a sequel, but… I'll be asking around just to be sure you guys want me to start that one, or finish 'Washu's Journal.' I'm sorry, but I can't work on two things at the same time, it starts to become a pain in the butt. This is the last chapter… My first story I've ever finished without losing interest in it. I'm so proud! (Hugs the screen)_

Conclusion: All Alone 

                The lab door creaked open, stares from around the room fixitated their eyeballs on it. A flash of cyan came out, and the pirate named Ryoko stood in the opening of the door. Everyone was on the couch, reading or writing, or listening to the quiet music playing in the radio (slow, sad, music, opera-like) Tenchi was the first to stand, but quickly sat back down with a stern stare by her. They waited patiently to hear the summoner's voice, for the answer, and just to hear the sound they had lacked for two weeks. A slight hesitation made their stares sharper. Ryoko relaxed, tried to get her voice to work. Another hesitation. She opened her mouth, but drew back again. They waited. Ryoko let the words creak out of her choked mouth before shrinking into the shadows the room made in the corner, "…She's gone…"

                Everyone was shocked, all of their eyes widened, a look of pity for the pirate stamped themselves on their stunned faces. Sasami started crying, and ran into the half-goddess, clutching the woman close as the girl sobbed into her abdomen. No one spoke, and they were too shocked to care. Mihoshi started bawling as loud as Sasami was, her ditzy-like self-taking over. Tenchi hung his head in defeat, choking up the brick that started to build in his throat. Ayeka just stood there, looking as if she'd seen a ghost. Mihoshi's partner was trying her best to calm the ditz down, trying to pat the sadness out of her. Even then, Kiyone had a hard time keeping her tears held.

                Washu was dead, and that was all there was to it.

                The next few days went by in a long, depressing silence, everyone in the house not daring to try and act cheery, for fear it would corrupt their souls and drive them insane. Ryoko had not drank or slept or ate, even though she was parched, starved, and sleepy, she could find no comfort in eating or drinking. Tenchi seemed to have more bruises on his head from the training Katsuhito gave him, claiming that he had just been falling down a lot. Sasami was in a state of guilt, hate, and rage toward Karagi, the now dead half-Hakubi. The scientist was still in her deathbed, her daughter not even going near the body for fear of losing control of herself.

                Ryoko didn't want the body to decay, but she couldn't will herself to go near her deceased mother. Ryo had been extremely helpful, trying to keep her sister's self-esteem alive when it was near dying. The humanoid did the chores around the house, occupying herself in the grief-stricken household. Kiyone and Mihoshi left off into space for a while, catching up on there lost patrolling time. 

                The pirate wandered unconsciously to the Funaho tree. Her dull eyes scanned the area, her mind not even caring where she went anymore. Cherry Blossom petals flew across her vision, and she fell to her knees, banging the ground with all her might. "Dammit! Damn you _mom._" She didn't mean it, but the summoner was too broken up to care. "Why'd she die?! Why'd she die?! Why?!" the wind was the only answer she got. Her eyes were dry; she had cried all her tears in the lab. Ryoko started talking to the air like a madman. "I thought we were close… We were close dammit! Then why'd she leave? Why'd she die? I had questions I wanted to ask-she wanted questions she wanted to ask, but she'd never admit it. She asked me whom I was jealous of. Well, if she's so curious- I was jealous of everybody here in a way. I was jealous of Tenchi because he's had a short-lived, happy life, not a long, tortured one. I was jealous of Ayeka because she got whatever damn thing she wanted, I got nothing. I was jealous of Sasami because she's a kid, I never got to live and see my whole childhood like a kid could. I can remember-some, but not all. I was jealous of Mihoshi because she's a bumbling idiot who can hide her mistakes by being clumsy, great way of action.

                "I was jealous of Kiyone because… I haven't known her long enough, I don't know. I was jealous of Ryo-ohki because she can hide her feelings a zillion times better than I can, just by living in a cabbit form. But most of all-though the old me would hate to admit it-I was jealous of _you,_ mom. Do you want to know why? Because you're smart, you can hide your emotions almost as good as Ryo can, you can choose to be an adult or a child, and people would still consider you higher than them. You knew how to be a mother. You knew how to…_love."_ She was done; the pirate slammed her fists down one more time and started trembling, blood coming out of her left wrist gem again. Ryoko felt a hand on her shoulder, she could almost feel it-almost. A soft, soothing voice entered her ears, the pirate almost recognized it-almost. _"Ryoko…"_ a voice said quietly, the pirate could have sworn she'd heard it from somewhere before.

                The hand felt transparent, emitting a soft glow that reminded the summoner of Tsunami. _"Ryoko…"_ it repeated, louder this time. The pirate shuddered under the tender touch. She answered mentally, what.  The voice sighed, and laid another hand on the other shoulder, in a comforting act. _"Ryoko, your mother is fine."_ And the pirate replied. **Yeah right**. The figure knelt down by the woman, one hand still on Ryoko's shoulder. The pirate refused to shift her gaze, so the voice's face was blocked. _"Do you know who I am?"_ the half-goddess answered dully, "No." the voice sighed again, and the hand trailed from her shoulder to her hand, feeling the pirate flinch under its' touch.  _"Yes you do."_ The pirate started trembling again.

                She couldn't remember.

                "No. I don't." she stated bluntly and dully. The voice shifted its' position. _"Yes-you do."_ The voice was stern, _"Listen to your heart." _The pirate shuddered yet again, this was too familiar. The voice was being patient with her, waiting for the summoner to think. Ryoko obeyed obediently, looking straight into her heart for answers. Four words echoed stupidly into her brain.

Your crutch- 

                "No! No! I don't remember! No!" she cried, clutching at her head, snatching the held one away, "I don't remember! I don't!" her eyes squinted shut. The voice remained calm, still staying by the pirate's side. The person knelt down by Ryoko was fully aware that Tenchi and Ayeka were watching, in the brush, silently, watching. The figure was quiet, waiting for the summoner to calm down. She continued to clutch at her head; the memories popping up and slipping away like water through her fingers when she tried to grasp them. The four words dwindled in her brain, remaining untouched, unscathed by the recent images flocking into her brain and leaving. Ryoko remembered little, everything was leaving her.

                Her trembling died down a little, her grip on her scalp loosening until they returned to the ground, the semi-transparent figure's hand rested on the Deltans back comfortingly. The half-goddess still avoided gazing into the person next hers eyes. A few moments later the voice spoke again, quieter, yet still as soothing, _"Just listen a little harder. That's all I can say."_ The figure waited yet again as the pirate remained silent, sensing the kindred spirit in the person. She dug a little deeper this time, ignoring the words still echoing in her head. Ryoko closed her eyes, the blood on her left wrist crusting up, leaving a stain on her clothing. Questions popped up in her brain.

Who is my mother? 

_Your mother is Washu._

_Washu-what?_

_Washu Hakubi._

_She said that she died._

_Yes._

_How did she die?_

_Karagi beat her._

_Why?_

_Tokimi._

_Tokimi?_

_The Goddess of War._

_So she died. My mother died?_

_Yes._

_Who is this voice?_

_Look and find out._

_But I don't want to!_

_You're being a baby._

                Newfound hatred welled up inside Ryoko. She hated Karagi; she hoped he suffered in hell. And yet…Pity rose up as well in her chest. To curse him in hell is to curse myself, she told herself, he is my brother, he is my blood. And yes, he is the enemy. Her thoughts were scattered, she barely remembered the task the voice had told her to do. She couldn't even remember her own name that split second. The person next to her remained silent, patiently waiting for the pirate to answer.  Tenchi and Ayeka watched quietly in the brush. The water by the two of them rippled, making another, and then another, until there half of the lake was consumed by small ripples, quietly crashing into each other blindly as they hit the middle, near impossible to see. A second later, Ryoko spoke, yet in a language Tenchi did not understand.

"Hui foy tenho, Tsunami," 

                The figure winced, then spoke calmly yet again, wanting to drive the pirate out of her madness, _"You are no fool, Ryoko. Do not call yourself one. At least not while I'm here,"_ the figure muttered, now known as Tsunami. The summoner doubted both her mind and her heart.

If her mind lies, then why not the heart? If the heart lies, why not the mind? No one knows the damned truth of anything, not even herself. That only left one thing to question.

The soul.

                She abandoned the world, forgetting the memories of her past life; she pictured herself flying faster than she'd ever gone before, faster than even the swiftest comet. Her body fell limp into Tsunami's arms. The pirate urged her pictured self to go faster, and it did, going twice as fast. Little images and sounds racked into her concentration. Ryoko forced them out, beating them away. Voices interrupted, the summoner forced herself to become deaf. She flew fast, and soon she blacked out.

                Tenchi fought the urge to go over to the fallen form of Ryoko. He fought the urge to go over and say everything would be all right, that he knew how she felt.

                In reality, he only knew half of what she felt.

                Yes, he lost his mother. Yes, Ryoko had lost her mother also. They had another thing in common, and yet he didn't understand. Tenchi had lost his mother because of a sickness. Ryoko had lost hers because of lack of blood, or so he assumed. Yet Ryoko had lost a mother she barely knew, barely even got to get familiar with before she was taken away by the hands of death. The half-breed didn't understand.

                He understood nothing.

                A slight shake on her shoulder brought the woman back to conciseness. The Deltan sat up drowsily, not remembering what she had done. She was sitting on a field of brilliant green grass. A soft breeze throwing her hair about, though it was shorter than it had been a month ago. Another shake brought her to reality. The half-goddess glanced over, and saw a woman with fiery hair sitting next to her, adult in size. She wore a dark blue undershirt, a light tan one underneath, a fancy looking brown-green-and pink buttoned together in the middle with golden embroidery. Near the top, a light blue gem encased in a golden outside with two wing-looking things flapping out, ribbon-like clothe hanging from them. Her red hair was held in a crab-like position, a wooden looking headband holding it back. She had startling emerald eyes, and a face feature that matched her own.

                The woman smiled at her. A word twiddled itself outside the summoner's mouth before she could control it, "…Mom…" she was shocked in saying the word, the pirate didn't recognize her at all, and it just came out. The woman smiled broader, and put an arm around the Deltan, her hand dangling lazily over the summoner's shoulder. The wind blew another gentle breeze as the red haired woman rocked them both. She seemed to be proud, being able to hold the pirate like that, but the half-goddess couldn't figure out why. Unconsciously, she had leaned into her. The woman with fiery red hair kept rocking, the wind whistling a tune heard only by their ears.

                "You know? This has always been a little dream of mine, sitting on a hill. Alone. With my daughter, just listening to the wind." The woman muttered quietly to Ryoko, who didn't flinch when she touched her. The Deltan didn't need to talk; the woman who claimed to be her mother heard everything. They continued to rock against the wind, listening to each other's minds quietly, analyzing. "And so I'm dead…I'm dead…" the woman muttered, viewing a picture in the pirate's mind. Ryoko finally understood why Tokimi had said that this woman was her crutch.

Without her, she'd go insane, as she so closed to doing until Tsunami appeared.

She leaned on the woman for support, not entirely, but enough for a child to rely on its' parents.

                And yet she was still confused, she was supposed to be talking to her soul. The woman-her mother-was obviously hurt by the knowledge of finding herself dead. "The soul…the soul…I've gotta reach it…the soul…the soul…" Ryoko muttered quietly, barely audible to even herself. The woman gave her a gentle squeeze for comfort. "And who do you think I am?" she asked, giving another squeeze, still rocking with the wind. The summoner was literally shocked, and twitched nervously under the woman's grasp. "I know what you're thinking." She said soothingly, trying to keep the pirate in a calm state.  The soul… I thought it was myself… I thought the soul was you-your living entity-the pure side. Ryoko uttered to herself, knowing that Washu would hear. Another squeeze made her lose all thought of doubt. "I _am_ your soul, Ryoko." The woman stated, making another rock.

They rocked against the wind, listening to each other's thoughts.

                Tenchi fought down another urge to stand up and run over to Ryoko. It had been almost an hour now, Tsunami patiently holding the limp summoner gently in her arms. Ayeka was sitting next to him, still thinking about what the pirate had said about being jealous. 'She's jealous of me. Ryoko is jealous is jealous because I get everything I want? Well, that's half-true. If I got everything I wanted, I'd be more like her. Tomboyish, wild, not shy. Who knows? Maybe we could have many things in common had it not been my being a princess…' the princess was quiet, making the half-breed forget she was even there. Ayeka knew whom he had chosen, she had known for a long time now, and it still brought pain to her heart.

Tenchi had chosen Ryoko.

                How might she know, you might ask? Ayeka herself had known since the Zero incident. At first she thought it had been pity for the machine. But the way he held her… The longing look in his eyes that he had fought hard not to show. It was revealed soon after in her dreams that he had been oblivious to the fact that Zero was Zero, not Ryoko. As soon as she'd figured it out, the princess tried to keep it looking like she didn't know a thing, since Tenchi was so clueless as to reveal his feelings when they had been stamped on his face like a bad thumb when he held Zero. So, over time, Ayeka chose to keep fighting over him, knowing full well that if she didn't, Tenchi would suspect. The polite woman had known that Washu had found out also, also during the way he held her. Ayeka had kept a journal, noting how things were progressing between the two over the weeks. The pages were blank now-Ryoko had locked herself in the lab. She felt pity-remorse- for her now called friend. She took a mental note on the way Tenchi was keeping his emotions locked right next to her, fighting down the urge to run over to Ryoko in front of herself.

Strangely enough, the princess wouldn't mind anymore, it would still make her heart ache, but it felt like just knowing your dog had died. Ayeka didn't care anymore; she _wanted_ the tortured pirate to be happy.

                Tsunami took great care in holding the summoner, knowing the consequences hence she might move even the slightest bit. The goddess made sure that she wasn't breathing, not wanting to disturb Ryoko on her trip to see her soul. 

                "So…you have to go back," the woman mumbled, now standing in front of her daughter. The Deltan nodded reluctantly, "Yeah… I have to go… If I go now, I might make it in time to save you-the you in reality." Ryoko said slowly, still recovering from the mind-blowing amnesia she had a little bit ago. "I know… It's gonna be lonely in here… I waited a long time for you to visit…a long time." The summoner looked down on the ground, kicking at the grass with her feet. "Maybe I could…if I save you…maybe I could visit you during the night? I mean, during my dreams and all that."  Washu nodded, holding back a choke, "I'd like that. It'd be nice to talk to someone. I've been locked up in here for quite some time." The pirate took a step closer, "You know… Even though you're the form of my mother… I keep thinking that you're myself, just different looking, with different dreams… Maybe, if-" a finger silenced her, touching the summoner's lips. "No "ifs", our life is full of enough of them. Like "If Kagato hadn't kidnapped me, I'd have a complete memory" or- "If Mom never died, I'd have never met my soul" we've got enough on our hands, why ask "ifs?" Ryoko nodded in agreement, "Yeah, you're right. Well… I'd best be going…" she turned around, but felt a hand on her shoulder. The woman's voice soothed itself into her ears.

"Just promise me this, when you get your mom back, take her to a hill, and do what I did. You don't have to do it in the near future, just promise that you'll do that for me. Mom wants that dream; she never got to have it with you when you were seventeen-actually seventeen. Just promise me."

                Ryoko smiled, and muttered before flying back to her body, "Yeah, I promise."

                The trip back to physical reality was easier than the way there; the memories flocking into her brain were pleasant ones. The summoner didn't care anymore whether she remembered what happened before she was abducted, but that didn't matter, she remembered enough. She didn't black out like last time, and felt herself open her eyes to face Tsunami.

Tsunami was smiling, a goddess was smiling. Ryoko instantly blushed when she found herself to be in her arms, and quickly jerked out, muttering an apology quickly. Tsunami started chuckling, _"It's all right… Do you see now?"_ Ryoko nodded, "Yes, thanks for helping me, Tsunami."

_"Don't mention it. Say hi to Tria for me."_ A ripple appeared in the water, and the Jurian holy one was gone. The summoner was confused, 'Who 'was' Tria?' she put the thought off until later.

Time to save Mom!

                Ryoko phased from sight, appearing in front of the lab door. She fought down the shame of walking into the lab, and opened the door, feeling her heart feel like it was ripping to shreds. 'No… Gotta last a little longer… I must get to her!' that was all the advice she needed as she plunged into the darkened subspace area. The door disappeared behind her, and the pirate walked to the part of the lab where she died. Guilt rose like a jet in her heart, and she fought it down, yet again, as she entered quietly into the room.

It was unusually quiet, too quiet; the machines in the lab were off.

                Ryoko walked to the form of Washu, almost collapsing had it not been for the handy advice her soul had given her. Wincing at the sight of a dead person, the smell of decay had not yet wafted off the scientist yet. 

"She's waiting… Her soul is waiting…" she muttered, and pulled up a chair, this was gonna take a looong time.

_Files of Ryouko Hakubi, Entry 1:_

_If you're reading this. It means I'm probably gone. Not dead gone, just gone, into space. At the time while Mom was dead, I went mad, I wouldn't eat, I wouldn't drink, I wouldn't drink for heaven's sake! I felt like the last piece I had left to stay sane was gone. In other words, I went berserk. I started talking to the air, walking around like a deadman, looking for his 'dead drink.' I kept on doing that for three days. On the third day, I ended up wandering to the Funaho Tree. My memory during that time is blurry. I was like, really drunk, and yet it never wore off. The answer was simple, I was going insane. Somehow, Tsunami must have heard what had happened from Sasami (poor little Sasami, sorry for leaving you guys like that) and came to help me. I was on the edge of going totally insane, because at the time, I had lost memory of those around me. Tsunami came to the rescue. She was patient with me. I know now that Tenchi and Ayeka were spying on me, making sure I didn't do anything 'too' drastic. They heard the entire thing. Tsunami helped me jump-start into talking with me soul, since I was unsure whether the heart or brain was telling the truth. As I said earlier._

_If the heart lies, then why not the mind? If the mind lies, then why not the heart? Confusing, I know, but at the time it felt right to say that. Tsunami pushed me into talking with my soul. And what I found, I could barely believe. Mom was my soul, or rather. It was I, just in Mom's form, yet she knew her dreams and wishes and such. She told me the answers, or rather helped me with them, because the me in that world was part of the soul also. I found out, after studying a little, that anyone who was close to you, "really" close to you, in a bond like Tenchi and his mother, they, too, would be a part of your soul, no matter how hard you deny it. I returned to my body and thanked Tsunami, who merely said, "Don't mention it. And say hi to Tria for me." I don't know what she means by that, but I intend to find out in space._

_I went back to the room that had become Mom's deathbed, and knelt over her, putting my right hand in her left, my left in her right. As you guessed, a circle was formed. This was old Deltan magic, the kind that only historians know of, though there aren't any Deltan historians left in the universe ('cept for me of course!) the circle is powerful magic, and needs incredible power to make. I can't tell you all the details, because (No offense Ayeka and Sasami, and Tenchi) Jurians aren't meant to know. I have nothing against you, but just in case someone wheedled it outta you, well, let's just say all Hell would break loose. I gave Mom her gem back, returning the other to Ryo, and I gave back my true gem to the Tenchi-ken, I don't want the old man dying on Tenchi, he's lost enough. So… After I gave Mom her gem back, her heart started beating again, slowly, but I knew she would recover. _

_And yet I knew I couldn't stay. I didn't know why, but I kept having a hunch that I had to go. Into space. I couldn't get it offa me, so I decided I would go into space. So I decided, mentally, that I would go into space and leave this record behind if Mom ever tried to figure out where I went. I just want to let you know, that I don't want to be found. I've decided that I'll be visiting "Todain" my birthplace. And then, after that, I'll visit "Delta" to see if they're any survivors. We can't let the Deltan dwindle and die! And after I complete my rounds of that planet, I've decided that I'll go to Jurai, I'm going to make a stand and apologize to Azusa, I want to say that I'm sorry for doing what I did. I want to clear my name. I know you're probably saying that I might get killed in the process. But you forget. I'm Ryoko the Space Pirate! If I get thrown into jail, I don't care, if I get beaten to a bloody pulp, I don't care. All I want to do is say sorry and that'll be the end of it, maybe this hell I call a life will stop haunting me. Maybe I'll pair up with Minagi on the way, since she gets confused for me all the time. I want you to also know that I won't be contacting you, I need to do this without you pestering me to come back and be safe._

_Nope, I'm going to go through with this, even if it costs my frigging life. Mom, if you're reading this, I'm sorry if is seems like I'm deserting everything behind me, but I couldn't ignore that little message in my brain. Oh hell, I just want to say that I love you very much. Please tell Sasami that I'm sorry for leaving, and that it wasn't her fault. Tell Tenchi that too. _

_Maybe I'll meet this Tria on my trip. In space, the longest I'll be gone for is six months, heh; I'll be eighteen by the time I get back! August 23rd is right around the corner! Ahem, well, if I'm gone longer than that, then, and only then, will I contact you. Another reason I thought up in space, the reason to come up here that is, is that I want to get some answers to my questions. I can't list them; they're too many and would waste your time. Well, one is why the Jurians did what they did to the Deltans, I intend to ask Azusa that._

_Now don't start crying because you think I'm throwing my life into the garbage, because I'm not. I'm doing what I've wanted to do for seven hundred years, clear my name. And I hope you respect my wishes. There are a few questions I know the answer to. Answers I've known for a long time._

_Like…_

_What am I?_

_I am a Devil Caller._

_Who am I?_

_I am Ryoko Hakubi_

_End._

**_Author's Notes:_**_ This chapter is shorter than the rest, I know, but I don't want a really long one, either. Just a quick, short one. I'm planning on a sequel, but I'm wondering whether I should finish Washu's Journal first. (Starts crying louder) WAHHHHHHH!!!!! I ACTUALLY FINISHED A STORY!!! I'm SO proud! WAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1-I don't know what to say… But I'm glad you like this story, and thank you for reviewing!_


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